BBC calls for review as it drops case over Sir Cliff
MEDIA ORGANISATIONS will urge the Government to review the law on reporting on people under police investigation after the BBC announced it will not challenge a ruling on its legal battle with Sir Cliff Richard.
The 77-year-old singer was awarded £210,000 damages after a judge found the corporation’s coverage of a 2014 police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, following a child sex assault allegation, was a “very serious” invasion of his privacy.
Mr Justice Mann ruled in Sir Cliff’s favour in July, following a trial at the High Court in London, and the judge refused to grant the BBC permission to appeal.
The BBC said yesterday it would not pursue a challenge at the Court of Appeal, despite saying it believes the judgment “represents a dramatic shift against press freedom”.
Instead the corporation will ask the Government to consider a review of the law on naming people involved in police investigations.
The decision not to pursue an appeal was welcomed by Sir Cliff, who said he had only reluctantly gone to court, over a “flagrant” invasion of his privacy.
A BBC spokesman said: “We accept the BBC and the rest of the media have a duty to be sensitive to the rights and position of those who are under investigation, and in some cases there will be little public interest in naming individuals.
“However, this ruling will limit the long-standing ability of jour- nalists to report on police investigations – many cases of which have resulted in further complainants coming forward.
“It will make it harder to scrutinise the conduct of the police and it will undermine the principle of the public’s right to know.
“These concerns have been widely echoed by many other media organisations.
“There is a fundamental principle of press freedom at stake here and one upon which we believe Parliament, as our lawmakers, should decide.”
The Society of Editors and the News Media Association (NMA) said they will also be making representations to the Government regarding the law on naming suspects in criminal investigations.
Executive director Ian Murray said they accepted that the public’s sympathy may well be with Sir Cliff, but if unchallenged, the move would “affect the liberties of all citizens.” He said: “Parliament should now urgently consider whether such a step towards individual privacy against the protection of society’s overall liberties is acceptable.
“At risk is whether the balance between such issues which underpin individual rights and freedom of expression in our liberal democracy has now been altered to the detriment of us all.”
Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, said it was “an issue of broader concern to all who care about journalism and the ability of journalists to do their jobs well.”
Mr Justice Mann previously said his judgment did not amount to a “blanket” restriction on journalists.