Media urged to ensure bomb suspects get fair trial

The British media must use more “self-restraint” to ensure the July 21 bomb suspects can receive a fair trial, a civil liberties group said today.

Liberty asked the British government to hand an informal warning to Press and broadcasters in a bid to stop any future trials being prejudiced.

Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti argued in a letter to the government’s senior law officer, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC, that aspects of recent media coverage could be in contempt of court.

Ms Chakrabarti’s letter said: “Endless newsprint in particular has been devoted to the personal backgrounds of those detained.

“Friends and associates stretching back many years into the past are routinely interviewed for their analysis of the characters and motives of the suspects – matters best left for the trial process".

She also said trials could be damaged by continued publication of CCTV images issued by police during the hunt for those responsible for the July 21 campaign.

Her letter went on: “While many newspapers and broadcast outlets ... have taken great care to refer to the detained men as ‘suspects’ or ‘alleged bombers’, this sensible practice is far from universal.

“The risk once more is to the impartiality of jurors.”

Ms Chakrabarti said: “Liberty urges the Attorney General to issue an informal warning to establish self-restraint by the print and broadcast media.

“We hope that we can all agree that public safety is best ensured by those accused of the gravest crimes receiving fair and effective justice without delay.

“We hope that such a warning will avoid the need for formal contempt of court proceeding at a later stage.”