» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
Operation Elveden: Officer in court on leak charge
BBC News web site
DATELINE: 1/10/12
A former counter-terrorism officer has appeared in court accused of leaking information to the News of the World. Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn, 53, is charged with misconduct in a public office for allegedly offering details to the now-closed tabloid in 2010. Ms Casburn is the first person to be charged under Operation Elveden, into alleged corrupt payments to officials. Ms Casburn has also been charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act. She was granted unconditional bail.
Ms Casburn, from Hatfield Peverel, Essex, spoke only to confirm her name, address and date of birth during the short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court. There was no plea. She will next appear at the Old Bailey on 2 November for a plea and case management hearing.It was alleged Ms Casburn contacted the News of the World in September 2010 and offered the paper information about a Scotland Yard inquiry, Operation Varec, into whether the investigation into phone hacking should be reopened. It was also alleged that she had secret documents at her home without permission to keep them there.
She was working in the Specialist Operations Directorate of Scotland Yard, alongside the team investigating hacking.
The current phone-hacking inquiry was launched in January 2011.
Reporting restrictions on the Official Secrets Act charge were lifted by District Judge Quentin Purdy on Monday after representations from media organisations, including the BBC.
The officer is a former head of the Met's national terrorist financing investigation unit. She is currently suspended.
Last modified: Monday, October 1, 2012
Your comments:
» Click here to add your comment.
Comments will be subject to approval and should not be defamatory, obscene, racist, in breach of copyright, or contrary to law. The CPBF is not reponsible for any views expressed here.
Previous journalism ethics stories
MacKenzie's 'amazing cheek'
Operation Elveden: senior Met officer DCI April Casburn charged
NI may face 230 new claims over alleged phone hacking
Phone hacking: detectives arrest Tom Crone
Phone-hacking police arrest former News of the World Scotland editor
Phone hacking: Coulson and others face crown court in September
Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks to be charged over phone hacking
Operation Motorman: 72 people told they were targeted by investigator
Guardian hacking journalist David Leigh won't be charged
Disabled people slam media libels
Phone hacking: No charges for Guardian reporter Amelia Hill over 'leaks'
Phone-hacking police charge Rebekah Brooks
11 referred to prosecutors by phone-hacking squad
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
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
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.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
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.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
Journalism Ethics
MacKenzie's 'amazing cheek'
Operation Elveden: senior Met officer DCI April Casburn charged
NI may face 230 new claims over alleged phone hacking
Phone hacking: detectives arrest Tom Crone
Phone-hacking police arrest former News of the World Scotland editor
Phone hacking: Coulson and others face crown court in September
Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks to be charged over phone hacking
Operation Motorman: 72 people told they were targeted by investigator
Guardian hacking journalist David Leigh won't be charged
Disabled people slam media libels
Phone hacking: No charges for Guardian reporter Amelia Hill over 'leaks'
Phone-hacking police charge Rebekah Brooks
11 referred to prosecutors by phone-hacking squad
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
