Loophole in Police Oath Fosters ‘Woke Policing’: Former Officers

Former police officer Harry Miller speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Dec. 20, 2021. Dominic Lipinski /PA

A change in the wording of the police oath twenty years ago has led to “woke policing” with former officers warning that social justice is getting in the way of actual legal justice.

By adding to serve “fundamental human rights” to the oath of attestation, former policeman Harry Miller told The Epoch Times that he believes that this resulted in a knock-on effect where officers now make subjective decisions based on activist group-led human rights, which are not embodied in British law.

Upholds an Ideology

“We have a police force that has moved from one that upholds the law, to one that upholds an ideology,” said Miller, who is a part of organisations Fair Cop and the Bad Law Project.

Fair Cop is an organisation that was set in response to what it calls a “Big Brother” overreach of various police forces. The Bad Law Project was set up to deal with what they call “a culture of coercion and control that is fast replacing our legal system.”

Miller said it started in 2002 under the Labour government when then Prime Minister Tony Blair implemented the Police Reform Act which amended police powers in England and Wales. This included a change to the wording of the formal ceremony which is sworn by all police officers before they begin.

Prior to the changes, the attestation was, “I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve Our Sovereign Lady the Queen in the office of constable, without favour or affection, malice or ill will.”

This was changed to “I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality; upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people.”

Miller said this change led the police to listen to groups such as the LGBT organisation Stonewall to make subjective decisions based on human rights, which are not embodied in British law.

“The public needs a police service to operate without fear or favour,” said Miller.

Police officers wear face masks as they patrol the city centre in Manchester, England, on Oct. 20, 2020. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

“It’s only the sovereign who can restrict our freedom,” he said.

“Every law that was enacted, is enacted in the name of the sovereign. The police take an oath to the sovereign. It’s in the name, it’s the Crown Prosecution Service. So the second that you take your instruction and cede control anywhere else, as far as I’m concerned that’s treason,” said Miller.

Some police constabularies are currently members of Stonewall Diversity Schemes, which Miller argues are signs of political and ideological affiliation.

Impartiality

According to the College of Policing, which is not part of a Stonewall scheme, the police service “must show impartiality throughout all our dealings with colleagues, partners, and members of the public.”

In August, the British Transport Police account posted a tweet of a police flag made with an LGBT rainbow at Brighton Pride and told critics on the social media platform that “we love to see it.”

“Inclusion isn’t political, and we’ll always celebrate being as diverse as the communities we protect. If you’re offended by this, please don’t apply to work for us, thanks,” they added.

In August, Miller and actor and political activist Laurence Fox filmed Hampshire Police arresting a man at his home after he posted a meme of a transgender flag which was mocked up to look like a swastika on social media on Facebook.

Miller questioned which human rights are the police going to adopt.

“Are they going to adopt the Second Amendment? Of course, they’re not. But if you’re an American living in Wyoming, you consider the Second Amendment to be a human right,” said Miller.

“If they are not going to adopt that human right which one are they going to adopt? They begin adopting what aligns with their particular worldview,” he said.

Identity Politics

Former Detective Chief Inspector at New Scotland Yard Mick Neville told The Epoch Times he agreed with Miller about the impact of the Blair government’s change in the oath and said that politicisation makes it seem like the police favour certain groups.

“So if you’re policing something which is fashionable in their own mind, so Extinction Rebellion, Black Lives Matter, the police will skateboard with them, take the knee with them,” he said.

Neville said he believed that would not be the case with the “unpopular” events, such as white working-class lads at a football match or “anti-vax” marches.

Activists from Extinction Rebellion blocking Lambeth Bridge in central London. Yui Mok/PA

“We know that 95 percent of burglaries across the country are unsolved. The police are solving about five or six percent of crimes. That means the criminals are just laughing. But you know, the police are always there on rainbow flags with men wearing high heels, all sorts of weird bizarre things, which the vast majority of the public are not unsupportive of,” said Neville.

“They’re not interested in crime. They’re interested in identity politics and political correctness. And then simply anybody who rejects their values is anti,” added Neville.

Miller explained that in some cases police are being taught human rights, which are not yet adopted into law.

“In other words, they are contested human rights. Some people absolutely believe in them though, some people don’t, but that’s why we have a parliamentary democracy to work out which ones we’re going to adopt or which ones are gonna say no, not right now thank you very much,” he said.

Miller said that it needs to be replaced with the old oath. “The way that we have it, we have a police force that is open to politicisation.”

Former police officer Harry Miller speaks to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Dec. 20, 2021. Dominic Lipinski/PA

The police have made high-profile statements amid accusations that forces are becoming too focused on political correctness.

In May, the UK’s chief inspector Andy Cooke said officers should stay away from “the different thoughts that people have” and focus on serious criminality.

In August, Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said that officers have ended up being involved in “stuff which is just not a policing matter,” and that it is undermining confidence in the forces.

Miller said that the vast majority of police officers in the force do “an absolutely fantastic job,” but without major change, even despite the police chief’s remarks, dark times could be ahead if not tackled.

His own journey into facing off the institution of which he was a part of started when he was investigated by Humberside Police reposting a limerick that mocked transgenderism on Twitter and given a Non Crime Hate Crime, despite no crime being committed.

Non-crime hate incidents (NCHI) include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person, or in writing. They have been used by British police if officers are unsure whether a reported incident amounts to a crime.

In a landmark case in December 2021 brought on by Miller, the Court of Appeal ruled that the recording of NCHIs is an unlawful interference with freedom of expression and contrary to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

During Miller’s case, Justice Julian Knowles ruled that Humberside Police, following the College of Policing’s guidance, had sought to “dissuade [Miller] from expressing himself on such issues in the future,” which he said was “contrary to his fundamental right to freedom of expression.”

At the time, the judge said that the effect of the police turning up at Miller’s place of work “because of his political opinions must not be underestimated.”

“To do so would be to undervalue a cardinal democratic freedom. In this country we have never had a Cheka, a Gestapo or a Stasi. We have never lived in an Orwellian society,” said Knowles.

‘Usurping the Sovereign’

Recalling the event, Miller said this was an example of police “usurping the sovereign.”

He said that he understands the history and the common themes between dictatorships whether it’s Stalinism, Trotskyism, Maoism, fascism, Eastern Berlin or even the regimes of Pol Pot and Papa Doc.

Miller said that if you look at the Stasi, “they were a modern political police force meaning they used much more subtle tactics to gain conformity” such as “putting you on a hate list so you couldn’t get a job.”

“They all have a common theme and we are not exempt from that. Just because we’re British, with this great tradition of the British Bobby does not mean that we can’t fall for it,” he said.

The Epoch Times contacted the National Police Chiefs’ Council for comment.