Irish Examiner view:  A welcome ruling on the protection of journalistic sources

Decision by Supreme Court to dismiss police attempts to access journalistic sources is to be welcomed

The ruling was a reaffirmation that protection of sources is 'integral' to a free press.

The decision by the Supreme Court to dismiss police attempts to access journalistic sources — in this case the mobile phone of an editor who had covered a violent incident at a repossessed property in Strokestown, Co Roscommon — is to be welcomed, as is the reaffirmation that source protection is “integral” to a free press.

The case and ensuing appeals have taken four years to resolve.

Hopefully, the outcome will give significant pause to any An Garda Síochána view that a reporter’s contact book is a wholly legitimate area for inquiry.