NUJ welcomes police back down on naming suspects
Ethics Council chair, Professor Chris Frost says it is vital that the public should know who has been charged in their name with breaches of the law.
The NUJ had protested against draft College of Policing guidance which would have given forces in England and Wales the option of not releasing the names of people charged with offences.
The College of Policing has confirmed it will maintain the status quo that those charged with an offence “have no reasonable expectation of privacy” and should be named.
Professor Chris Frost, chair of the NUJ’s Ethics Council, said:
"The NUJ welcomes the reversal of the College of Policing suggestion that the naming of those charged with offences should become optional. The NUJ, along with other media organisations, thinks it is vital that the public should know who has been charged in their name with breaches of the law. It is an important part of our justice system that justice should carried out in the full public gaze allowing all those who have a part to play to come forward and to reassure that the system works fairly for all."
Andy Marsh, College of Policing chief executive said that “an open, transparent, and professional working relationship” between the police service and the media remained essential to public trust.
“Our guidance to police forces is clear that at the point an individual is charged with a crime, there should be no reasonable expectation of privacy. We believe this is strongly in the public interest and compatible with data protection law,” he said.
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