Senior police praised undercover officer who lied to court about identity, papers at spycops inquiry show

A public inquiry into undercover policing in the UK has revealed that senior police officers praised an undercover officer, Jim Boyling, for lying to a court about his identity during the prosecution of environmental activists. Boyling was prosecuted alongside activists while posing as one of them, and his superiors authorized him to maintain his false identity throughout the legal case. The inquiry is examining how many activists were wrongly convicted due to this practice, which an internal review deemed "grossly unprofessional." The Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) unit, involved in the scandal, operated from 1968 to at least 2010, with officers concealing their identities in at least 13 trials between 1970 and 1998. Police leaders prioritized the security of undercover operations over their duty to the court and the rule of law.

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