Informed 03


give them your support by sending solidarity statements to campaigns@ nuj.org.uk.


Journalists’ safety and press freedom


remain high on the union’s agenda. In July, we welcomed Vincent Kearney’s landmark victory in his tribunal case against MI5 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) over their sustained unlawful surveillance (see column over page). I attended the first day of the hearing in February along with the Assistant General Secretary and called for a full public inquiry into surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland. The safety of our members in Northern


Ireland has been at the forefront of our minds in recent months. We responded to the not guilty verdict in the Lyra McKee trial and welcomed PSNI’s renewed appeal for information; and repeated calls for a public inquiry into Martin O’Hagan’s murder, including in our letter to the UK Home Secretary. The riots in Belfast, which led to intimidation and attacks against journalists, reinforced the importance of our work on journalists’ safety and our Safety Tracker reporting tool, which we continue to develop. I also responded to government research on journalist safety in the media and to Reform UK banning journalists from its party conference and urged the Home Office to correct advice on photography in public spaces.


The NUJ’s parliamentary group


Secretary and numerous MPs demanded universally applicable and robust legislation to clamp down on Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in a Westminster debate. Promisingly, the Courts Minister welcomed our calls and said the government is taking steps to bring about new protections – read more on page 11. It was a privilege to attend the


International Federation of Journalists’ (IFJ) centenary congress earlier this year and to be elected onto its executive committee. The importance of our union’s work alongside our affiliate has


Vindication for Vincent


In July, we welcomed a landmark decision by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) to order MI5 and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to pay £20,000 in damages to journalist and our member Vincent Kearney over sustained unlawful surveillance. Te judgement was a damning indictment of the police and security services and an unambiguous vindication of Vincent Kearney and investigative journalism. A three-day hearing in February laid bare the impact of unlawful surveillance lasting more than a decade on Kearney’s personal and professional life. Te tribunal heard how Kearney was “treated as a suspect” for his reporting while working for BBC Northern Ireland,


been underscored by significant global events in recent months. We continued topublicly condemn persistent targeting of journalists in Lebanon and Palestine by Israeli forces and supported calls by MPs to facilitate investigations at the International Criminal Court – which I reiterated in a recent letter to the new


with police and security forces breaching his right to protect his sources and subjecting him to considerable risk as a journalist working in a post-conflict society. “Tis is a hugely significant ruling,” said Fran McNulty, NUJ joint president. “We know that MI5 accessed information and data deliberately to identify journalistic sources, a most egregious overreach. I commend Vincent and the BBC for taking the action, and for holding those in power to account. It has been a difficult and stressful time for Vincent and his family, and the NUJ has been privileged to support Vincent during the process.” Te NUJ has underlined the need for a full public inquiry into surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland.


Foreign Secretary. We highlighted support for sister unions in the United States fighting visa restrictions against foreign journalists. We also worked closely with the IFJ to highlight the arrest of photographer and NUJ member Klaus Thymann by police in Uganda, who released him after five days.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12