MPs Told of Suspicions of UK Wide Spying on Journalists by Police

Journalists allege widespread police surveillance, seeking sources and chilling press freedom. They seek a public inquiry, citing democracy fears.

MPs Told of Suspicions of UK Wide Spying on Journalists by Police
MPs Told of Suspicions of UK Wide Spying on Journalists by Police

Two journalists spoke about police surveillance, telling a committee that a public inquiry is needed because they feel it was an attack on democracy. A tribunal ruled the police acted unlawfully when trying to find journalist sources, involving Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey.

The police chief approved the surveillance, which was about a leaked document concerning a Troubles massacre. In 2018, police arrested McCaffrey and Birney in relation to this leaked document, which featured in their documentary about a 1994 massacre. Police asked Durham Police to investigate due to a conflict of interest.

The case involved a police ombudsman document, and the film covered a pub shooting where six men died. Police later apologized to the journalists and paid £875,000 in damages to them and the film company. In 2019, Birney and McCaffrey complained about unlawful surveillance.

A detective asked to monitor the reporters to see who their source was, which happened after their release from custody. The police chief also approved surveillance to monitor a suspected source. The tribunal looked at phone data access concerning McCaffrey’s phone records. Police forces accessed the phone logs, admitting this was already acknowledged as unlawful, and these actions occurred in 2012 and 2013.

Seamus Dooley and the two journalists gave evidence to the committee, which investigates press freedom. McCaffrey said journalists were spied on to find their sources, stating that documents clearly showed this. He said it wasn’t about national security but about identifying sources, and police even labeled journalists as criminals.

McCaffrey said police spied on him five times to find his journalistic sources. He said they spied on contacts, including union officials and civil servants, and even used a death threat against him as an excuse to check his phone records. Birney said their complaint revealed widespread police surveillance in Belfast.

Birney described the police operation as like a crime drama and a strange novel. He said police sought help from London police who helped surveil journalists’ data dating back to 2011. Over four months in 2011, many calls got monitored with more than 4,000 calls checked by the Met. Many of these calls were between BBC journalists, meaning a police force spied on the BBC and shared data with other police forces.

The current police chief announced a review, led by a lawyer, to look at surveillance against journalists. Birney said the review is too limited and it isn’t just a Northern Ireland issue but relates to all of the UK. A politician supported their case and asked all police forces about similar actions.

The police forces gave vague responses, raising concerns for Birney which suggests things are happening across the UK. Dooley said it’s about the treatment of journalists, not just about Northern Ireland, and every member of Parliament should care. Birney said only a public inquiry can help uncover the entire situation.

He told MPs they also speak with journalists and police have this information. Police know which journalists speak to politicians, which he suggested is an attack on democracy. This isn’t just a journalist issue but involves politicians, lawyers, and activists, making it a societal issue they believe requires a public inquiry.

McCaffrey said police must follow the rules and stated the police broke the law. He mentioned that confidence in policing has been damaged, stating that the journalists didn’t break the law; the police did.

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