House of Lords hands down van Colle judgment
30/07/2008
The House of Lords has today handed down judgment in the case of Chief Constable of The Hertfordshire Police (Original Appellant and Cross-Respondent) v Van Colle. This is an important judgment for human rights and civil actions against the police practitioners with respect to police duties towards protecting witnesses.
The House of Lords have unanimously allowed the appeal by Hertfordshire Police against a finding that they violated human rights laws in failing to protect the life of 25-year-old optician Giles van Colle.
[Commentary on this judgment by Nick Stanage will appear here shortly]
Media coverage of the judgment
> 30/7/08 Police escape multi-million pound bill over Giles van Colle witness murder (The Times)
> 30/7/08 Police cleared over witnesses' death (The Independent)
Quick links
> 24/7/07 Judges say police must protect witnesses (The Times) (Court of Appeal backs High Court decision)
>
Van Colle and another v Chief Constable of the Hertfordshire Police [2007] EWCA Civ 325
(WLR Law Report on previous Court of Appeal judgment)
