Bashir faces contempt charge over Jackson silence

British journalist Martin Bashir could be prosecuted for contempt of court after refusing to answer several questions put to him during the Michael Jackson trial.

Bashir refused to say how many hours of videotape were recorded in the making of his controversial programme about the star.

The ITV1 documentary Living With Michael Jackson led to the millionaire singer being tried on child abuse charges.

A senior vice president of ABC News, who Mr Bashir now works for, defended the reporter’s decision to invoke the California shield law which protects journalists from having to disclose their sources.

Henry Hoberman said: “ABC News view it as a matter of significant importance and principle, and we stand firmly behind our reporter Martin Bashir in his decision to decline to answer questions that so clearly and directly in our view, and in Mr Bashir’s view, invade the news gathering process.”