MI5 to pay damages for illegal surveillance of journalist's phone
Summary
MI5 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have been ordered to pay £20,000 in damages to journalist Vincent Kearney for illegally accessing his phone records. This is reportedly the first time MI5 has been required to compensate a journalist for such surveillance.Key Facts
- Vincent Kearney, a journalist, was the target of secret surveillance operations while working for BBC Northern Ireland.
- MI5, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and the Metropolitan Police obtained his phone records without proper legal authority.
- The surveillance covered about 1,580 calls and texts, revealing contact numbers, addresses, and call locations but not the content of the communications.
- The Investigatory Powers Tribunal found the surveillance "disproportionate" and unlawful, violating privacy and protections for journalistic sources.
- MI5 and PSNI will each pay Kearney £10,000 in damages.
- The PSNI Chief Constable admitted the authorizations were unlawful and said changes have been made to prevent future violations.
- The tribunal emphasized the public interest in protecting journalistic sources to ensure information can be reported freely.
- The National Union of Journalists called the ruling a landmark decision highlighting concerns about how journalists have been treated.
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