00:00In a court order on January 2nd, Mr Justice Chamberlain said that the question of whether
00:07to grant an injunction would be decided by a judge without a hearing. He said the challenged
00:12decision claimed to impose a requirement to disclose involvement with Masonic and other
00:17associations and added that the requirement would apply immediately. However, he said
00:22there was no urgent need for interim relief at that stage, as around 300 officers and
00:26staff had already declared their involvement in Masonic and other hierarchical associations.
00:32Chamberlain also said there was no indication that the Metropolitan Police planned to take
00:36disciplinary action against officers or staff who failed to make a declaration in the next
00:41few weeks. The force confirmed that 316 officers and staff had declared membership of the Freemasons
00:49or of another hierarchical association. Freemasonry is centuries old fraternal
00:56organisation, with around 6 million members worldwide, including more than 200,000 in England
01:03and Wales. It developed from medieval stonemasons guilds, and members of the Freemasons still
01:11meet in lodges to carry out secretive initiation rituals and ceremonies.
01:17Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley had previously supported the plan as part of
01:22a wider push for transparency within the Metropolitan Police force.
01:28of the
