A tribunal has revealed that police and MI5 conducted an extensive campaign of illegal surveillance against Vincent Kearney, the former Northern Ireland home affairs correspondent for the BBC. This unlawful interference lasted for eight years, during which authorities sought to identify his journalistic sources by unlawfully obtaining communications data from his mobile phone and employing intrusive monitoring methods.

The investigatory powers tribunal (IPT) has outlined the extent of this campaign, highlighting that both the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police were involved in the surveillance process. Despite MI5’s acknowledgment of having illegally accessed Kearney's phone data on two separate occasions between 2006 and 2009, evidence presented in court indicates that the actual level of intrusion was significantly more serious and pervasive than initially admitted.

The implications of this case raise serious concerns about the balance between national security interests and the protection of journalistic freedom. The unlawful targeting of a journalist not only threatens the integrity of press freedom but also undermines public trust in the agencies meant to protect citizens. The tribunal's findings could lead to calls for heightened oversight and regulation of intelligence and policing practices in the UK.