In a startling turn of events, Mr. Murdock Greyback and Mr. Timoleon Maxime have both resigned from the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement. A formal statement has been issued, and is included herein:

It is with a profound sense of duty that we, Murdock Greyback and Timoleon Maxime, announce our mutual and immediate resignation from our posts as Head and Deputy of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This decision was not made lightly, but with the firm conviction that we can no longer, in good conscience, uphold the current directives of the Ministry of Magic.

For a nation to remain just, its laws must be upheld in both letter and spirit. The principles of innocent until proven guilty, reasonable suspicion, and the right to due process are not mere suggestions; they are the bedrock upon which our entire legal system is built. It has become clear to us that the administration's current approach, particularly concerning our werewolf community, is in complete disregard of these vital tenets, where innocence must be proven, normal investigative tenets are ignored, and all are suspect. We are witnessing a moral panic, an exaggeration of risk that gives credence to public hysteria and fear, and we refuse to be a part of it. This is, we believe, the direct cause of the death of Mr Ace Lukeson, allowing those with a fear or hatred of werewolves to feel that they may act on their worst impulses.

We believe our responsibility is to the magical populace we serve, not to any single politician or administration. To remain in our posts would be to become complicit in an agenda that we believe undermines our democratic institutions and the very rule of law we swore to protect. By this act of mutual resignation, we hope to make it unequivocally clear to all who feel marginalised that the majority's will and the rule of law must not be brandished as a form of tyranny. It is the duty of leaders to draw a line when confronted with policies that violate ethical norms. We choose to draw that line today.

We hope our actions serve as a moral example that public servants must serve the people and the principles they espouse, not personal power or blind loyalty.

Respectfully,
Murdock Greyback Former Head, Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Timoleon Maxime Former Deputy, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Mr. Greyback had an extensive career in the deaprtment, working as an auror before ascending to the head of the department in 1887. The career of Mr. Maxime, a French import, not been quite as storied, but he had experience in the department as a lawyer before his promotion to assistant head in 1891. Whether either gentleman continues in the legal field or will instead take the opportunity to retire to the life of a private citizen remains to be seen.

An official statement on the matter from the Minister of Magic was not immediate available, likely owing to the timing—Mr. Greyback and Mr. Maxime announce their resignation just as metaphorical clock runs out on the screening of Ministry leadership for lycanthropy.

This abrupt departure leaves a leadership vacuum in what some consider to be the Ministry of Magic's most critical department. It is expected that an interim head will be announced next week.