17/05/2012

Court Rules Broadcaster Does Not Have To Give Police Footage Of Dale Farm Eviction

The high court has today ruled that news broadcasters, including the BBC, ITN and Sky News, do not have to hand over footage of the Dale Farm eviction to police.

Reading the ruling Mr Justice Eady said broadcasters did not have to disclose unbroadcast footage of the eviction to Essex police.

Police need to have clear evidence of criminality when applying for production orders against the media, the judge said.

Broadcasters including BBC, Sky News and ITN – the producer of ITV News, Channel 4 News and 5 News – won the right to a judicial review after they were told by Chelmsford Crown court to hand hours of footage of the Dale Farm eviction in October last year over to the police.

In his judgment on Thursday, Eady said that the Chelmsford Court decision failed to give any sufficient weight to the inhibiting effect of production orders on the press.

The ruling marks a significant victory for the media, which has campaigned strongly against being forced to disclose unbroadcast footage.

Broadcasters warned they would be seen as an extra arm of the state if they passed unaired footage to the police.

(H)


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