jan 14, 1994 - The use of a mouth-gag was banned altogether by the Home Secretary in January 1994.

Description:

The trial raised questions about the monitoring of, and the authorization for, the
use of restraints. In July 1993 there were no official guidelines regarding the use of any
mouth-gags in deportation cases, suggesting that the gag was an unauthorized means of
restraining Joy Gardner. The use of a mouth-gag is not referred to in the Police
Self-Defence & Restraint Manual; its use was suspended by the Commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police in August 1993 and was banned altogether by the Home Secretary in
January 1994. The use of mouth-gags and other restraints did not have to be officially
recorded by members of the deportation squad even though police officers in other circumstances are required to make a note of the use of other restraints. In 1983
Metropolitan Police were informed that gagging deportees could only be justified on board
an airplane and with the permission of the aircraft commander. A former ADG officer who
designed the body-belt used to restrain Joy Gardner, stated that he had never been told the
mouth-gags were forbidden. He admitted that gags were used frequently15 and that officers
taught themselves how to use them.

Added to timeline:

Date: