Cabinet Office Slammed: High Court Orders Release of Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps
The Cabinet Office has suffered a major blow after the High Court ruled against its attempt to block the release of Boris Johnson’s unredacted WhatsApp messages and notebooks to the COVID-19 Inquiry. The ruling favours Baroness Heather Hallett, the inquiry’s chair, who demanded the documents through a section 21 notice.
Judges Back Inquiry Chair Against Government Pushback
The court made it clear that the possibility of irrelevant documents slipping through doesn’t make the order unlawful or relieve the government of its duty to comply. This ruling marks a stark setback for ministers trying to keep the material under wraps.
The government has said it will “fully comply” with the High Court judgment, ending its legal fight to block the release.
Government’s Privacy Argument Falls Flat
Baroness Hallett first ordered the release of Johnson’s WhatsApps back in May, but the Cabinet Office opposed it. Last month, in a rare move, the government launched a judicial review to stop the disclosure. They claimed privacy concerns and argued the requests ventured into irrelevant territory—labelled an unjust intrusion into government business.
But Baroness Hallett insisted she alone can judge the relevance of evidence to the inquiry, centred on Johnson’s documents and their importance to uncovering the truth about the pandemic response.
Boris Johnson By-Passes Cabinet Office, Hands Over WhatsApps Direct
In a bold twist, Boris Johnson sidestepped the Cabinet Office and personally sent “all unredacted WhatsApps” to the inquiry. He confirmed he is prepared for the inquiry to inspect the messages and plans to hand over texts from an old phone he quit using in May 2021 due to security fears.
Johnson has asked the government for help to securely access the device and submit the requested messages, adding fuel to the ongoing investigation into the government’s pandemic handling.
