The Issue
Police officers who attend to assist in the execution of what is said to be a court order must be able to identify the lawful authority for any coercive act. In the absence of a court order authorising possession or exclusion, police presence does not supply lawful authority for eviction. Assistance with an unlawful eviction may itself be unlawful. Police complaints must be substantively investigated. The duty of the state under Article 8 ECHR is not merely to refrain from interference but to secure effective protection of the home.
The Law: How It Should Operate
Police Act 1996; PACE 1984 Codes A, B and C; ECHR Article 8 — the right to respect for the home is a Convention right. Any interference must be in accordance with law, necessary and proportionate. Police Reform Act 2002 — the IOPC exists to provide independent oversight of serious police complaints. Police Conduct Regulations 2020 — Standards of Professional Behaviour require lawful exercise of authority. Where the lawful basis for police-assisted exclusion cannot be identified, the interference with the home is not in accordance with law.
How It Operated in Lawrence v HNW Lending Ltd
Police attended and facilitated exclusion from the properties on multiple occasions including 14 July 2021. The legal power relied upon was not identified to the occupiers. The power relied upon has not been identified in any subsequent complaint investigation. Police complaints were made. PSD investigated and found no wrongdoing. The mandatory IOPC referral threshold was allegedly met but not triggered. Body-worn video was missing for key periods. The 999 call made during the incident has not been disclosed. Every oversight route declined to examine substance.
"The question is not whether one court reached one adverse result. It is that the same failure of protection recurred across courts, tribunals, administration, policing and oversight — making the pattern visible only because the case passed through so many forums."
— Open Letter to the Lord Chancellor, 15 May 2026