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11 referred to prosecutors by phone-hacking squad
Tom Morgan Independent 18 April 2012
DATELINE: 18/4/12
Eleven suspects have been referred to prosecutors by Scotland Yard's phone-hacking squad. The cases of four journalists, one police officer and six other individuals are being considered, director of public prosecutions Keir Starmer QC said. Offences under consideration include misconduct in a public office, data protection act breaches, perverting the course of justice, witness intimidation and breaches of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa).
Mr Starmer refused to give a timescale for a charging decision but said: "We are now entering a period where we are likely to make a decision one way or another."
Some of the suspects referred to in the files have not been questioned by police yet, the DPP said. A total of 43 people arrested under the various operations sparked by disclosures of phone-hacking at the News of the World remained on bail, Mr Starmer added. The announcement came as Britain's top prosecutor published guidelines setting out how journalists may have broken the law.
Mr Starmer said the new rules would help lawyers with the "very difficult decisions". "The decisions we are going to make are going to be extremely difficult and extremely sensitive," he said. "We have got to make a decision because these cases are coming. We cannot duck that."
The four files include:
:: One journalist and a police officer accused of misconduct in a public office and data protection offences;
:: One journalist and six other individuals accused of perverting the course of justice;
:: One journalist relating to witness intimidation;
:: One journalist in relation to a breach of Ripa;Mr Starmer said: "These just happen to be the four files we have got, there may be others. We don't know." He said the files relate to four investigations being carried out at the Metropolitan Police: Weeting, Elveden, Kilo and Sasha.
Last modified: Wednesday, April 18, 2012
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More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
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UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
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Previous stories
Journalism Ethics
News of the World phone-hacking cases launched in US
News Corporation's Australian branch in new hacking row
Chris Jefferies: Only press fines can prevent trial by media
Paying cash for stories: a demeaning trade that spawned phone hacking and illegal payments to Police officers
The Sun has eroded British justice, fairness and freedom: now it is feeling the effects
Sun in crisis
Evidence to the Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions from CPBF Chair Julian Petley
A Chance for Change
Phone hacking: Leveson inquiry into press ethics starts
The People in libel payout over Dale Farm slavery slur
News of the World hired investigators to spy on hacking victims' lawyers
Phone hacking: NoW warned about 'culture of illegal information access'
Milly Dowler police investigation may have been targeted
Wall Street Journal circulation scam claims senior Murdoch executive
Journalist wins legal battle after refusing to reveal sources
Phone hacking: News International faces more than 60 claims
Journalistic bad practice: more "icebergs" on the way
Phone hacking update
Phone hacking: News of the World reporter's letter reveals cover-up
The Sun and Hillsborough
News of the World accused of hacking Milly Dowler's phone
News of the World prints phone-hacking apology
Police ask BBC for cuts protest footage
Phone hacking: now judge tells police to stop protecting names
News of the World executive suspended over alleged phone hacking
Censored? Media silence over latest Coulson claims
Nick Clegg's rise could lock Murdoch and the media elite out of UK politics
The return of buggingate
Leaking in the public interest
Judge puts reporting ban on Alfie Patten 'dad at 13' story
