The ‘No Stone Unturned’ decision: Welcome win for press freedom

The decision by the High Court in Northern Ireland that it is “minded to quash” the warrants obtained by police to carry out raids on the homes and office of Belfast journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey is a welcome sign that at least one branch of the justice system in Northern Ireland is prepared to respect and vindicate press freedom.

The journalists, whose groundbreaking documentary, No Stone Unturned, revealed evidence of blunders, cover-ups, and collusion between the police in Northern Ireland and UVF killers, were arrested in a Stasi-style operation by members of the PSNI last year over the alleged theft of a police watchdog document that appeared in the film about the murders of six men in Loughinisland, Co Down, in 1994.