UK clears Guardian journalist over hacking coverage

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

UK clears Guardian journalist over hacking coverage

LONDON | Tue May 29, 2012 7:04am EDT

(Reuters) - UK prosecutors investigating a phone-hacking scandal at a Rupert Murdoch tabloid have decided not to charge a journalist from the Guardian newspaper for illegally obtaining information from the police to break the story.

The hacking scandal has revealed collusion between Britain's press, politicians and police, with many critics citing those close ties as the reason the illegal practices went undetected for so long.

The Guardian's Amelia Hill, who helped reveal details of alleged widespread criminality at Murdoch's News of the World title, had been questioned by police over whether she received confidential information from a detective.

Police had also previously attempted to force the Guardian to reveal its sources on the phone-hacking scandal, sparking a furious row about press freedom in Britain.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/29/us-britain-hacking-charges-idUSBRE84S0CP20120529

[dipsydoodle]

1. The most likely background to this

is that the CPS won't pursue a case where is doubt a jury would convict especially given that juries have their own ideas on what constitutes the public interest. Similar may occur where others have been arrested on this subject in general.