BBC: Cliff law is dramatic shift against a free press
Plea for review over naming suspects
THE BBC will not fight a High Court ruling after losing a legal battle with Sir Cliff Richard over its coverage of a police raid on his home.
But it wants the Government to urgently review the law.
The BBC is asking ministers to consider primary legislation to “protect the right to report properly and fairly criminal investigations, and to name the person under investigation.”
It stressed that the ruling “represents a dramatic shift against press freedom”.
Last month the singer, 77, sued over the BBC’s coverage of a South Yorkshire Police search of his home in Sunningdale, Berks, in August 2014.
Mr Justice Mann awarded Sir Cliff £210,000 damages calling the BBC’s coverage a “very serious” invasion of privacy. He refused permission to challenge the ruling.
The BBC has repeated its apology to Sir Cliff for the distress caused and said there are lessons in how it reported the story.
It said: “We will think very carefully about our approach in the future – both in tone and style.”
The search following an alleged sexual assault of a child at Sheffield football stadium in 1985, which Sir Cliff firmly denied. The star was never arrested and in June 2016 prosecutors announced he would face no charges.
Media experts say the ruling effectively made it difficult for media organ-
The ruling’s a big change to freedom of the press and open justice IAN MURRAY ON THE SIR CLIFF COURT DECISION
isations to name people in the future. The Society of Editors will talk to the Government about naming suspects in criminal investigations.
Executive director Ian Murray said: “The decision that it’s unlawful for the media – as well as the public – 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.”