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Order to hand over films (1)

01 January 1991

Order to hand over films
artdoc March=1995

BBC, ITN, Sky News, the Daily Mail, the Evening Standard, the
Daily Telegraph, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror and Today
were all ordered to hand over to the police film footage and
still photos of the Hyde Park Criminal Justice Bill demo. The
demo, on 9 October, ended in violence in which it was claimed
that 400 police were injured, along with 50 members of the
public, and 250,000 worth of damage done to shops. In a fiercely
contested hearing in November, the news organisations argued that
their journalists ran the risk of being targeted for violence as
agents of the police by surrendering pictures taken on violent
demos. The police argued that the material was necessary to
enable them to bring offenders to justice. The judge agreed with
the police that the danger to journalists was less important than
the public interest in catching offenders. Meanwhile, following
the updated guidelines giving Special Branch more of a public
order role, observers were wondering how many of them will be
seen playing a role in the filmed confrontation.
Independent, 3, 9 & 10.11.94.

Statewatch, Vol 4 no 6, November-December 1994