Should The Police Be Able To Access Journalist's Phone Records Without The Approval Of A Judge?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2787338/Mail-chairman-Free-press-attack-never-before.html

/// It is absolutely vital for our country and for this city that we protect free speech – and if I can say something about one current controversy, it is of course right that the police should be able to investigate serious criminal matters,’ Mr Johnson said. ///

/// ‘But it is also crucial that journalists should be able to protect their sources and to give whistleblowers the confidence to come forward. We will have to insist that in future the police will not be able to see a journalist’s phone records without some kind of judicial approval.’ ///

[Old_Geezer]

I thought the judge's ok was the safeguard to prevent police state type stuff happening. I'm unsure we'd want a free-for-all and no citizen privacy rights at all.

[ToraToraTora]

he's correct but it's a bit pot/kettle talking about phone records. if the press put there own house in order then it would not be necessary to do it for them.

[jno]

"the press" aren't a person, TTT, one reporter can't control what another reporter does. (The more so as most of them are competing with one another,)

Agree with OG.

[Zeuhl]

No

what T3 said

this tit-for-tat is tedious, which is why we need a sensible - independent - enforcer of standards for press issues and complaints

[ToraToraTora]

no jno but the industry can control it operatives.

[Svejk]

did you^ mean cant.

[youngmafbog]

yes jno, so by the same token one Banker cannot control what another banker does. Are you also comfortable with that statement?

I still dont see the need to access phone records without a Judge. It does put the line in the sand and surely cannot be difficult to gain approval if foul play is strongly suspected ?

[youngmafbog]

Did you spell that correct Svejk?

[Zeuhl]

^ LOL

philosophy in the News section!

[ToraToraTora]

I meant "should be able to/forced to control it's operatives"

[Gromit]

Of course not.

[jno]

Are you also comfortable with that statement?

If you mean do I think it's true - yes. If you mean do I like it, no, same as for the press. I'm just saying I don't think "the press" can put its house in order any more than "banking" can; and neither industry can "control its operatives", or wants to. That's why we elect governments, to set controls over them, and why we have a justice system, to enforce them. Hence my agreement with OG.

[Svejk]

just remember, the politicians spent years and millions of pounds of your money to stop you hearing about their expenses. Part of that was investigating/prosecuting the whistle-blowers. Of course, the left have always dreamt of shackling the free press.

[jno]

the left have always dreamt of shackling the free press

Oh yes, it was Callaghan who introduced Clause 28, and required actors to lip-synch Irish nationalists on TV. Tyrannical swine!

[youngmafbog]

I shall remember that when the next Banker bashing starts.