Northern Ireland: Call to publish Chief Constable’s report on covert spying on media

Human rights groups urge transparency ahead of Policing Board public meeting

Growing fears that covert and intrusive surveillance against journalists, and potentially lawyers and activists go much further

‘Freedom of the press must be protected’ – Patrick Corrigan

‘This is a real test for the present era of policing accountability’ – Daniel Holder

 Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) are calling for the Policing Board to publish a report from the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on police covert surveillance of journalists. 

At March’s public meeting of the Policing Board, PSNI Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, committed to providing answers within four weeks to questions on the secret surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland first put to him more than six months previously.

Amnesty and CAJ have written to the Policing Board asking it to publish the Chief Constable’s responses following revelations at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London that the police have deployed covert surveillance on journalists on at least three occasions, in 2011, 2013 and 2018.

Amnesty and CAJ have urged the Policing Board to exercise its formal powers, under the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000, to secure full disclosure from the PSNI.

The human rights organisations fear that the pattern of covert and intrusive surveillance by the police against journalists, and potentially others such as lawyers and activists, goes much further than the incidents revealed so far at the IPT.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Policing Board meeting, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, said:

“Amnesty is extremely concerned that the evidence revealed to date at the Investigatory Powers Tribunal point to a wider pattern of covert police surveillance of journalists.

“The Chief Constable and the Policing Board have a real opportunity to provide full disclosure about unlawful police surveillance practices in recent years and to ensure no repetition in the future.

“Freedom of the press must be protected, not just against those who would use threats and violence, but against unlawful intrusion by the state.” 

Daniel Holder, Director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ), said:

“This is a real test for the present era of policing accountability both for the PSNI and the Policing Board with its duties to hold the police to account.

“Freedom of the press, including the fundamental of protecting sources, is a cornerstone of a democratic society protected by rights to freedom of expression under the ECHR.”