MI5 and PSNI Paid for Spying on Journalist | Belfast News

A Northern Irish journalist, Vincent Kearney, is set to receive £20,000 after a tribunal ruled MI5 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland unlawfully accessed his communications data over multiple years—ignoring his status as a journalist and failing to justify their actions. The tribunal emphasized that protecting journalists is vital for public accountability, and both agencies were found equally at fault, with each paying £10,000. Kearney’s legal team uncovered seven separate surveillance operations between 2006 and 2018, during which the PSNI even built a detailed dossier on him. Though the PSNI initially resisted paying damages, the tribunal’s decision sends a strong message: journalism must be safeguarded, and public access to information is non-negotiable. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/561ffd382caa92cf