Editors call for law to protect media’s right to name suspects
MINISTERS have been asked to change the law to ensure the media can name criminal suspects before their arrest as the BBC said it will not appeal against a judge’s ruling in the Sir Cliff Richard case.
The Society of Editors, which represents senior journalists across all media platforms, said it was vital for “open justice” that suspects could be named.
Tony Hall, the BBC director general, has also written to the Government to request a change in the law.
Sir Cliff, 77, was awarded £210,000 in damages after a High Court judge said the BBC’S coverage of a raid on his home in 2014 had been a “very serious” invasion of his privacy.
Sir Cliff was away at the time and was never arrested or charged over a historic child sex assault allegation. The ruling represented “a dramatic shift against press freedom”, according to Mr Hall, as it will deter other media organisations from naming suspects before they are arrested.
The BBC decided not to appeal against the decision so as not to spend money on a court case it might not win.
Mr Justice Mann previously said his judgment did not amount to a “blanket” restriction on journalists.
However, Ian Murray, the Society of Editors’ executive director, said: “The decision that it is unlawful for the media to identify someone under investigation by the police is a major change to not only press freedom to report what those in authority are doing, but also to the public’s right to know and open justice here in the UK.
“These are serious issues and should not be decided by the verdict in one celebrity court case. Parliament should consider whether such a step towards individual privacy against the protection of society’s liberties is acceptable.”
Theresa May has already rejected calls for a “Cliff’s law” which would guarantee anonymity for suspects.
Whitehall sources said news organisations could still make their own judgments over whether a public interest in naming a suspect outweighed the suspect’s right to privacy.