Covert and undercover policing continues to make the headlines, often for extremely disturbing reasons. Yet, such modes of policing are, arguably, fundamental to efforts to deal with serious organised crime and other forms of high-harm offending. This tension raises profound ethical and practical challenges for police organisations and those charged with over-seeing them. In this seminar we address a question at the heart of these tensions – should police lie?

Speakers:

• Dr Dominic Wood, Head of the School of Law, Policing and Social Sciences, Canterbury Christ Church University
• Professor James Wilson, Professor of Philosophy, UCL
• Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Pritchard, Head of the Serious Crime Directorate for Kent and Essex Police
• Gary Beautridge, retired Assistant Chief Constable, with responsibility for the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate