Recent reporting of police investigations by the media has led the Lord Bishop of Chester to question if a review into the law of privacy is needed.
Media reporting in the recent period between Christmas and New Year was dominated by a particular police investigation following a tragic murder. I was struck by the way in which the identity of a suspect under questioning was reported, along with photographs. In the event, someone else has been charged.
What right to privacy should apply to suspects under investigation, but before any charges are made? What rules should the police follow in their dealings with the media? What restrictions should apply to the media itself, however its information is obtained?
While ultimately there are legal remedies for defamation, or contempt of court, the potential stress and reputational damage to an innocent individual can be considerable.
We seem to have slipped by degrees into a very different situation from that which applied some years ago. Why? What should be done to protect potentially innocent citizens? Do we need a comprehensive review of the law of privacy?
Lord Bishop of Chester is the 40th Bishop of Chester. Bishop of Chester since 1996, he entered the House of Lords in 2001.
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