Protesters arrested at the Royal Wedding lose court challenge against Met
GETTY Royal wedding protesters have lost their Supreme Court challenge over the way they were arrested
Cases were brought by a group of individuals who accused the Met of breaching their human rights and acting unlawfully and effectively "suppressing anti-monarchist sentiment" at the time of the wedding in April 2011. But five Supreme Court justices have unanimously ruled in test cases that periods of between two-and-a-half and five-and-a-half hours some protesters spent in custody were lawful and justified because of police fears that they could be involved in possible breaches of the peace. Dismissing the cases, Lord Toulson said in a ruling given on Wednesday: "The ability of the police to perform their duty could be severely hampered if they were not able to detain somebody for a short period of time in circumstances of the kind described."
GETTY Cases were brought by a group of individuals (not pictured) against the Met
The Supreme Court decision upholds earlier decisions by the High Court and Court of Appeal which both ruled the police action was justified and proportionate and the Met was not operating an unlawful policy. Legal action was taken by 20 individuals who were among scores arrested or subjected to searches before or on the wedding day.
GETTY
GETTY One group involved 15 protesters arrested at various locations in London
One group involved 15 protesters arrested at various locations in London, including at a Starbucks in Oxford Street, Charing Cross and those attending the Queer Resistance "zombie picnic" in Soho Square. Their lawyers said the case touched on "the most important of constitutional rights, namely the right to free expression and to protest, both of which are elemental to a properly functioning democracy".
Royal Wedding 2011 pictures Thu, May 5, 2011 The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton Play slideshow 1 of 340 Charles and Diana and Kate and William