MI5 and PSNI Face Scrutiny Over Surveillance of RTÉ Journalist Vincent Kearney

A legal case has begun in London against the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and MI5, brought by RTÉ Northern Editor Vincent Kearney, alleging systematic state monitoring of his journalistic activities. The case centers on claims that the journalist’s phone data was tracked over an eight-year period, up to 2014, in an attempt to uncover his sources.

Background and Allegations

Vincent Kearney, formerly a Home Affairs Correspondent for BBC Northern Ireland before joining RTÉ in 2019, asserts that the surveillance constituted a systematic and unlawful pattern of accessing his journalistic sources and mapping his professional life. He stated he was “treated as a suspect rather than a journalist.”

MI5 has already conceded it unlawfully obtained communications data from Kearney’s phone on two occasions, in 2006 and 2009. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) will now consider the PSNI’s potential role in the surveillance, alongside that of MI5.

BBC and Amnesty International Concerns

The BBC has expressed “serious concern” over the extent of the unlawful interference, stating it “strikes at the heart of the protections that are in place for public interest journalism.” The organization emphasized the importance of defending the independence of journalism and the public’s right to know.

Amnesty International has highlighted the case as potentially revealing further details about the extent of surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland. Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland Director, emphasized that a journalist’s right to protect sources is “the bedrock of a free and fearless press.”

Previous Cases and Investigations

This case follows a 2024 tribunal ruling that the PSNI and Metropolitan Police acted illegally by spying on journalists Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney to identify their sources. A report last year revealed 21 instances of unlawful covert powers used by the PSNI to attempt to uncover journalistic sources. This investigation was prompted by the arrests of McCaffrey and Birney related to their documentary on the 1994 Loughinisland massacre.

Impact on Journalism

Kearney stated that the monitoring of his communications has had a “chilling effect” on his ability to conduct public interest journalism, damaging source relationships. He called for accountability for those responsible and measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is hearing the case, with some proceedings taking place behind closed doors.