clarence henry willcock

Clarence Henry Willcock was the last person in the UK to be prosecuted for refusing to carry an Identity Card. On 7 December 1950, the 54 year old businessman was stopped while driving in London by a police officer who demanded that he present his Identity Card at a police station within 48 hours. He refused, was prosecuted and convicted. Willcock appealed, in the case Willcock vs Muckle. Although he lost the appeal, the Lord Chief Justice Lord Goddard spoke out against the continued use of compulsory Identity Cards and commented that they "tend to make people resentful of the acts of the police". Goddard's comments are thought to have influenced Winston Churchill's decision to scrap compulsory national Identity Cards in 1952.

Clarence Henry Willcock

See also