INDEX	July 29, 2023
This is a complete copy of a page from this web site https://anyuakmedia.com/secret-inquiry-looking-at-police-spying-claims-on-northern-ireland-journalists/ published on JULY 24, 2023. I picked it up through Google Alerts.
Secret Tribunal Investigating Allegations of Journalist Surveillance in Northern Ireland BY MICHEAL ANTHONY A secretive tribunal is currently investigating allegations that UK authorities, including the police in Northern Ireland and Durham, as well as MI5 and GCHQ, conducted intrusive surveillance on investigative journalists in order to identify their sources. The investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) is examining a complaint filed by journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, who were controversially arrested in 2018 for their work investigating a notorious massacre during the Troubles. The IPT, which investigates complaints against intelligence services and public authorities using investigatory powers, operates behind closed doors and has unique powers to obtain secret evidence. Earlier this year, Birney and McCaffrey discovered that the tribunal had been secretly investigating a separate incident in 2013, extending the one-year time limit to examine the lawfulness of a 2013 authorization the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) used to collect communications data. According to the journalists, the PSNI obtained the authorization to access McCaffrey's telephone records after he approached the PSNI's press office with questions about alleged corruption in the police force. McCaffrey expressed shock at the discovery, stating that he had no idea that his phone had been compromised. Birney and McCaffrey also criticized the secretive nature of the IPT's operations, expressing frustration at the limited insight they had into the court's activities. They believe that their case is just the tip of the iceberg and that there may have been additional attempts to identify their confidential sources beyond the 2018 search warrants and arrests, which were ruled unlawful by a senior judge in Belfast. The arrests of Birney and McCaffrey, both experienced investigative reporters, prompted concerns about media freedom in Northern Ireland. Their homes were raided, and a significant amount of journalistic material was seized following their work on the documentary No Stone Unturned which looked into allegations of collusion between the police and suspected murderers in the Loughinisland massacre of 1994. The IPT is expected to hold a hearing this year to determine the lawfulness of the 2013 collection of communications data. However, it remains unclear whether the tribunal has reached any conclusions regarding the 2018 police investigation into Birney and McCaffrey. The National Union of Journalists expressed support for the journalists' stance and criticized the secrecy of the IPT proceedings. The PSNI declined to comment due to ongoing legal proceedings.
INDEX Jonathan Brind		July 29, 2023