Anti-monarchy protester suing Met chief over coronation day arrest

Exclusive: Republic's Graham Smith seeking judicial review of lawfulness of arrest as well as damages

Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, is being sued over the arrest of the chief executive of Britain's leading republican movement on the day of the king's coronation, in what is being billed as a first test case of new protest laws.

Graham Smith, who was detained for 14 hours on 6 May, is seeking a judicial review of the lawfulness of his arrest as well as damages and an admission of fault from Scotland Yard, according to legal papers seen by the Guardian.