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PSNI must hand back material from No Stone Unturned case


The NUJ in the UK and Ireland welcomed the apologies issued to Northern Ireland journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey by PSNI chief constable Simon Byrne for their unlawful arrests in August 2018. In welcoming the apologies Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary and Séamus Dooley, assistant general secretary, in a joint statement called on the PSNI to take immediate steps to return all data held by the police to the journalists, and to bring those responsible for the Loughinisland massacre to justice.


Reacting to the apology Michelle Stanistreet and Séamus Dooley said: "Our members should not have had to endure a two-year ordeal at the hands of the PSNI and Durham Constabulary. Not only were the unlawful arrests a cause of distress, the police stance since the illegal detentions has had a devastating impact on these two NUJ members. Their only crime was to make a documentary highlighting the appalling injustices perpetrated at Loughinisland.


"At every stage in the legal process the police were


Senior journalists to leave BBC NI


Four of Northern Ireland's best-known journalists are to leave BBC News Northern Ireland, including long-time NUJ representative Mervyn Jess. Political editor Mark Devenport, senior journalists Maggie Taggart and Mervyn Jess and investigations correspondent Kevin Magee have decided to take voluntary redundancy and are wished well, along with all BBC colleagues leaving the airwaves. Mervyn Jess joined BBC News NI in 1988. He has been a long-time union activist, representing Northern Ireland journalists at national BBC negotiations and serving as Northern Ireland broadcasting branch delegate to DM.


Barry steps down


Long-serving Irish Times FoC Barry O’Halloran has stepped down from the post. Barry had guided the chapel during some of the most complex and challenging negotiations in recent years. Deputy MoC Kitty Holland is serving as acting MOC as part of interim chapel leadership with Conn Ó Midheach and Éanna Ó Caollaí.


obstructive, adding to the cost of proceedings and to the suffering of Barry, Trevor and their families. No journalist should ever be put in this position simply for doing their job. "The PSNI still retains a vast amount of journalistic


material, despite the court order. If these apologies are to mean anything the chief constable must bring about an end to this shameful episode by arranging the immediate hand over of all material seized or copied. Last week’s clear and unambiguous court ruling must be followed by swift and decisive police action to remedy this wrong. "The Loughinisland families deserve justice. That


can only happen if the PSNI act on the information contained in ‘No Stone Unturned’. As investigative journalists Barry and Trevor never sought to be the focus of attention. We salute their commitment, courage and perseverance and want to acknowledge all who stood with them in their campaign. We are proud of the role played by NUJ members and the wider trade union members in supporting our members."


Mairead lands EU post on way to the Forum


Earlier this year, former Independent Newspapers chapel member Mairead McGuinness accepted the invitation to open the summer session of Dublin Freelance branch’s freelance forum, subjected to diary commitments. Having the senior vice


president of the European Parliament open the forum was a coup for the branch. No one envisaged circumstances in which a global pandemic


Mairead McGuinness. © European Union


would force cancellation of the forum or that a golf-related breach of Covid-19 regulations would alter Mairead’s diary. The former agriculture journalist was confirmed as European Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union in September to succeed Phil Hogan, following his forced departure. On her appointment Mairead accepted the congratulations of


Kieran Fagan, DFB treasurer, and asked to be kept informed of plans for a resumed forum in 2021. Kieran and Mairead served in Independent House


together. Prior to her appointment as editor of the Independent’s farming supplement she had worked with the Farmer’s Journal and on RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground. She also worked as a researcher in RTÉ following her graduation from UCD.


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