Christopher Knight was junior counsel instructed by the Government Legal Department in R (The Duke of Sussex) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWHC 1228 (Admin) (23 May 2023). Following a one-day hearing on 16 May Mr Justice Chamberlain has handed down judgment refusing permission to apply for judicial review.
The Duke of Sussex wished to apply for judicial review to challenge a decision on behalf of the Home Secretary to reject the principle of permitting the private funding of police protection where the provision of such protection was no longer judged to be in the public interest. The decision concluded that it would be inappropriate to support or authorise the wealthy to ‘buy’ protective security services provided by specialist officers of the Metropolitan Police.
The Duke’s first claim, challenging the decision to alter his protective security arrangements in Great Britain following his stepping back as a working member of the Royal Family, will be heard in due course.
