And the NUJ itself has been declared civil rights hero of the week for supporting Suzanne (pictured) and fighting for the rights of photographers.  

At Belfast Recorders Court on Thursday, Judge Thomas Burgess refused an application which would have forced Suzanne, Northern Editor of the Sunday Tribune, to hand over notes, computer equipment and other material following publication of stories relating to the Real IRA.

NUJ President, James Doherty, praised the courage of Suzanne and her editor, Noirin Hegarty, in standing up to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

James said: “At last week’s hearing Suzanne and Noirin proudly stood by the NUJ code of conduct and this ruling is justification of their stand. Journalists everywhere will join with me in congratulating them on the outcome.

“This is a victory not only for Suzanne, but for all journalists and the right to do our job free from fear or coercion. The Fourth Estate should never become a lapdog for a police state."

• Journalists stand up for Suzanne - read more on the campaign
  
• Read the ruling on the Northern Ireland Court Service website

NUJ General Secretary, Jeremy Dear, said: “The PSNI has failed on this occasion, despite tactics aimed at intimidating the media. We now hope that the security forces will concentrate on tracking down criminals and those responsible for murder rather than targeting journalists.

"The use of anti-terror legislation to target journalists is a worrying international trend and this case is a welcome development in halting the erosion of civil liberties.”

Irish Secretary, Séamus Dooley, was present in court along with NUJ colleagues to support Ms Breen.

 Reacting to the judgment, Séamus said: “The NUJ welcomes this landmark judgment. No journalist should face the prospect of a prison sentence for doing their job in the public interest.

"Judge Burgess has recognised the central importance of the protection of journalistic sources and also accepted that a journalist who hands over confidential material could put their life at risk.”

In a ruling which took more than 30 minutes to read out, Judge Burgess said that requiring Ms Breen to hand over notes and other material would be a breach of her right to life under the European Convention.

Séamus added that the outcome of the case was “a landmark victory for journalism and civil liberties”.

• Other cases about protection of sources

18/19 June 2009