Link to PDF.

“Victory for NUJ members, human rights and press freedom” – nuj.org.uk

“Police pay damages to journalists for breaching their right to report” – bindmans.com

“A Victory for Press Freedom” – londonphotographers.org

Jason Parkinson and I have won our Greek Embassy case against the Metropolitan Police. This is a significant victory for press freedom.

Here is the police apology in full:

“On 8 December 2008 well-respected political journalists Marc Vallée and Jason Parkinson were reporting a protest outside the Greek Embassy, Holland Park, London. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has accepted liability for breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The MPS apologise for this and have paid compensation. The MPS confirms its recognition that freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy and that journalists have a right to report freely. The MPS recognise that on 8 December 2008 they failed to respect press freedom in respect of Mr Vallée and Mr Parkinson.”

Click here for the full NUJ press release.

Past blog posts:

“Journalists launch civil action against police” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog

“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog

“Video: Journalists obstructed at Greek Embassy protest” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog

“Can I have my lens hood back officer?” – marcvallee.co.uk/blog

“Coalition has no interest in protecting the right to strike” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

Here is a Comment is free for Liberty Central by yours truly on the right to strike, civil liberties and press freedom. This Roy Greenslade piece is also worth taking a look at.

“Hostile Reconnaissance – Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom” – London Photographers’ Branch of the NUJ.

The Hostile Reconnaissance rally is tonight! Very much looking forward to it. I will be speaking along side Jeremy Dear, General Secretary National Union of Journalists; Paul Lewis, Guardian journalist & British Press Awards Reporter of the Year 2010; Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law at King’s College London & author of Bonfire of the Liberties; Henry Porter, Observer columnist, author & London editor of Vanity Fair and Chez Cotton, Head of Action Against the Police at Bindmans Solicitors & a co-ordinator of the Police Action Lawyers Group.

Click here for more information.

“Hostile Reconnaissance – Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom” – London Photographers’ Branch of the NUJ.

I’m one of the speakers at the London Photographers’ Branch pre-election rally next week along with Jeremy Dear, General Secretary National Union of Journalists; Paul Lewis, Guardian journalist & British Press Awards Reporter of the Year 2010; Keith Ewing, Professor of Public Law at King’s College London & author of Bonfire of the Liberties; Henry Porter, Observer columnist, author & London editor of Vanity Fair and Chez Cotton, Head of Action Against the Police at Bindmans Solicitors & a co-ordinator of the Police Action Lawyers Group.

Hostile Reconnaissance: Terror Laws, Civil Liberties & Press Freedom at 7pm on the 13th of April at Friends Meeting House in Euston.

Click here for more information.

“Your 10 questions for would-be MPs” – Henry Porter, The Guardian.

“Ten reasons to feel uneasy” – Anthony Barnett, opendemocracy.net

Last night I was at the launch of Keith Ewing’s new book Bonfire of the Liberties – “a provocative book which confronts the corrosion of civil liberties under successive New Labour governments since 1997.”

I was one of the speakers at this packed out event held at NUJ headquarters along side Jeremy Dear, NUJ general secretary; Henry Porter, novelist and political columnist for The Observer; Dave Smith, from the Blacklist Support Group; Cerie Bullivant, who was on a control order for two years and Pennie Quinton, who took Section 44 to Strasbourg.

Dave Smith’s contribution on blacklisting in the UK construction industry and the attacks on trade unionists was very powerful.

We have to keep an eye on databases of multinationals as much as the states. It is important to defend our Article 11 rights as trade unionists to meet without being put under surveillance and harassed, by either the state or private companies.

The investigations on police surveillance of protesters and journalists as well as the covert state targeting of environmental activists that I worked on with Paul Lewis at The Guardian are mentioned in Ewing’s book which was a nice surprise.

SOUTHPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.11.09. NUJ General secretary Jeremy Dear in a lighter moment before the start of the National Union of Journalists Annual Delegate Meeting in Southport, England on Friday 20 November 2009. NUJ members from across the county have come together to tackle the major issues effecting media workers in Britain today. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

“I’m Photographer Not a Terrorist!” pops up at NUJ ADM!

SOUTHPORT, UNITED KINGDOM – 20.11.09. NUJ President James Doherty in a lighter moment before the start of the National Union of Journalists Annual Delegate Meeting in Southport, England on Friday 20 November 2008. NUJ members from across the county have come together to tackle the major issues effecting media workers in Britain today. (Photo by Marc Vallee/marcvallee.co.uk) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.

Link.

“Good news for photographers” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

I have written piece for The Guardian’s Liberty Central about the “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” campaign and the new Home Office advice on counter-terrorism legislation and photography in a public place.

Link (pdf).

“Home Office letter on Photography and Counter-Terrorism – pdf” – From David Hanson MP – Minister of State responsible for crime and policing to Jeremy Dear – National Union of Journalists General Secretary.

“Home Office circular 012 / 2009 – Photography and Counter-Terrorism legislation” – homeoffice.gove.uk

On Tuesday (18.08.09) the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism at the Home Office sent out new advice to all the Chief Police Officers in the UK to “clarify counter-terrorism legislation in relation to photography in a public place”.

In a letter about the new advice from David Hanson MP – the Minister of State responsible for crime and policing – to Jeremy Dear – the National Union of Journalists General Secretary – the minister writes in the closing paragraph on Section 58A of the Terrorism Act 2000,

“I believe this circular removes once and for all any suggestion that the new offence can be used to prosecute innocent photographers such as responsible journalists, simply because they are taking a photograph of a police officer.”

A victory for photographers? To read more about this go to the “I’m a Photographer, Not a Terrorist!” website.

Link.

“The Met see sense on the media” – Marc Vallée, The Guardian.

For The Guardian toady I have written about new guidelines from the Metropolitan police which reinforce the rights of press photographers working in public.

“Police should respect press freedom” – Olly Zanetti, The Guardian.

“Photographers complain about police obstruction” – Kate Day, blogs.telegraph.co.uk

“Photographers take action against the Met” – National Union of Journalists

Today my solicitor served papers on the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis. Due to legal reasons I can not say anything about the case but the links above and below should give you all the information and background you need.

Past blog posts:

“Police to investigate Greek embassy incident” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk

“Video: Journalists obstructed at Greek Embassy protest” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk

“Can I have my lens hood back officer?” – blog.marcvallee.co.uk