Legal News
Daniel Morgan’s murder investigation to be reviewed by independent panel set up by the Home Office (13 May 2013)
Date: 13/05/2013
Theresa May has announced that an independent panel would be formed to review the police handling of the Daniel Morgan murder investigation.
Mr Morgan was killed in south – east London in March 1987 but no one had been successfully prosecuted despite five police investigations.
Inability to tackle corruption within the force was cited and acknowledged as being the reason which helped protecting those responsible for the murder from being brought to justice. It has been two years since the admission of the Metropolitan Police.
Now an independent panel would be chaired by Sir Stanley Burnton, a retired Court of Appeal judge. It would review how police corruption affected the handling of the murder inquiry and how Mr Morgan’s family was treated by the police and criminal justice system.
Home Secretary Theresa May said the horrific murder of Daniel Morgan and subsequent investigations were dogged by serious allegations of police corruption..
Several criminal investigations had failed to bring those responsible to justice and the independent panel would leave no stone unturned to find out why she said.
She added she was very happy that Sir Stanley Burnton had accepted to chair the panel as he had enormous amount of expertise from a long career at the top of the legal profession.
The terms of reference under which the panel will operate were also announced today.
It will address connections between police officers, private investigators and journalists at the News of the World and other media involved in the case.
The panel will examine documents from a number of government and non-government organisations, including the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Sir Stanley Burnton said the family of Daniel Morgan, Daniel Morgan himself and the British public have been badly let down by the criminal justice system over 26 years.
He said he was determined to do everything he could, as chair of the independent panel, to uncover the facts, the circumstances and the truth behind the previous failed investigations.
Work was continuing to appoint other panel members.