A tribunal has found that the PSNI and Met police unlawfully surveilled two journalists, leading to significant legal repercussions.
Belfast: So, it turns out the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Met police were caught spying on two journalists. A tribunal just ruled that it was unlawful. Can you believe that?
Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, the journalists in question, were awarded £4,000 each in damages. They were arrested back in 2018 after making a documentary called No Stone Unturned. It’s about a tragic massacre during the Troubles.
The tribunal didn’t just stop there. They also canceled the PSNI’s surveillance orders against the journalists and their source. This is a big deal since it’s the first time they’ve done something like this.
Oh, and the Met police? They were found to have unlawfully surveilled McCaffrey back in 2012. The documentary they made dives into some serious stuff, like police collusion in the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, where six Catholic men lost their lives.
In 2019, Northern Ireland’s top judge already ruled that the arrest of these journalists was unlawful. It’s a wild situation, and it’s definitely raising eyebrows.
More details soon …