Right to protect pub bomber names

DEAR Editor, Although strangely I share the same name, town and professional background as Christopher Morley, I could not disagree more in his view of Chris Mullin’s actions in protecting his journalistic sources (Letters, April 7).

Mr Morley states the bereaved relatives of the Birmingham pub bombings demand and deserve closure. But that is something Mr Mullin cannot provide.

That is down to West Midlands Police who have been woeful in their duty to pursue justice for those families.

The ill-conceived pursuit instead of Mr Mullin and his notes from interviews nearly 40 years ago, is much more about trying to camouflage the force’s own inadequacy in failing to properly investigate the case all those years ago.

The families of the 21 victims must have our sympathies and support for justice.

But this justice is not going to be achieved by breaching the critical principle that in a democratic society journalists must be able to protect their sources. In this case, Chris Mullin’s journalistic inquiries culminated in ending the gross miscarriage of justice to the Birmingham Six whose convictions were quashed in 1991. It also, thankfully, led to the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad being wound up with dozens of other cases being quashed.

If journalists cannot protect their sources – and be seen to protect those sources – then many critical public interest stories about injustice, corruption and the misuse of power will go unpublished.

With the risk of being outed, whistle-blowers will feel unable to come forward with critical information and sit on their hands.

We will all be the poorer for having our democratic society undermined from within.

Chris Morley, Halesowen