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The UK High Court has brought the police to account for infringing freedom of speech.
The matter arose when a concerned member of the publilc, Harry Miller, posted social media comments about transgenderism.
This prompted a police visit at Miller’s workplace. The police told Miller that although he had not committed a crime, his actions would be recorded as a “hate incident.”
Miller understood he must stop commenting on the subject or face prosecution.
Unwilling to accept the action of police, Miller challenged the matter in court.
“We are heading absolutely towards some Orwellian state and the police are using 1984 as an operating manual and this frightens the life out of me.”
The Court found the police were in the wrong and had infringed Miller’s freedom of expression
Justice Julian Knowles, adjudicating the case, firmly ruled against the constabulary. “I find the combination of the police visiting the claimant’s place of work, and their subsequent statements in relation to the possibility of prosecution, were a disproportionate interference with the claimant’s right to freedom of expression because of their potential chilling effect,” he said.
The judge said the impact of the police visiting Miller’s workplace “because of his political opinions must not be underestimated”.
“To do so would be to undervalue a cardinal democratic freedom. In this country we have never had a Cheka, a Gestapo or a Stasi. We have never lived in an Orwellian society,” he said.
Miller described the decision as a watershed moment for liberty.
"The police were wrong to visit my workplace, wrong to ‘check my thinking’” he said.
Miller’s lawyer, Paul Conrathe, said: “It is a strong warning to local police forces not to interfere with people's free speech rights on matters of significant controversy.”