Campaigner’s victory in battle over police ‘extremism’ database

John Catt, from Brighton, East Sussex, who is of good character, argued that, as he has not engaged in any criminality, the retention of data about him on the National Domestic Extremism Database was unlawful.

Last year, Mr Catt – who said his human rights were being violated – urged two judges at the High Court in London to order the removal of details about his activities from the database, which is operated by police chiefs.

But Lord Justice Gross and Mr Justice Irwin dismissed his judicial review claim, ruling that his right to privacy under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights was not infringed.

Yesterday, following a hearing at the Court of Appeal in January, Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson, Lord Justice Moore-Bick and Lord Justice McCombe, announced that they had allowed Mr Catt’s appeal against that earlier decision.

The appeal judges said the inclusion of personal information relating to Mr Catt on the database “does involve an interference with his right to respect for his private life which requires justification”.

Mr Catt was not present in court for the ruling but said in a statement: “I hope this judgment will bring an end to the abusive and intimidatory monitoring of peaceful protesters by police forces nationwide.

“Police surveillance of this kind only serves to undermine our democracy and deter lawful protest.”

His lawyer, Shamik Dutta, of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, said the judgment “acts as a safeguard against the creeping criminalisation of peaceful protest”.