View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Comment
July 13, 2015

Former DPP calls for new law to protect public interest journalism from prosecution

By Dominic Ponsford

Former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir Keir Starmer has called for a new law to protect journalists from being prosecuted if they are acting in the public interest.

Guidelines brought in by Starmer, now a Labour MP, were adopted by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2012 and were supposed protect public interest journalism from prosecution.

But since then the Crown Prosecution Service has brought prosecutions against 16 journalists who were found not guilty at trial.

In April, the CPS scrapped nine outstanding prosecutions against journalists who were set to face trial in the light of a Court of Appeal judgment.

The Court of Appeal has quashed two convictions of journalists accused of paying public officials for stories: those of former News of the World reporters Ryan Sabey and Lucy Panton.

According to The Times, Starmer will use a speech today to call for a “clear law offering journalists protection”.

Starmer is taking part a panel discussion being held in London tonight on the question: Do we have a free press?

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Starmer will be joined by Trevor Kavanagh of The Sun  (who has been a fierce critic of the Crown Prosecution Service), chief executive of Index on Censorshop Jodie Ginsberg, Yougov president Peter Kellner and BBC Media Show host Steve Hewlett.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network