Supreme Court agrees to hear journalistic privilege case

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal concerning journalistic privilege and police search powers, marking the first time the court will address the interaction between criminal investigations and protection of journalistic sources. The case arises from the seizure of a mobile phone belonging to a journalist at his home in Strokestown, County Roscommon, in December 2018, as part of a garda investigation into violence at a repossessed property. The High Court had permitted gardai access to the device's contents, but the Court of Appeal subsequently quashed the search warrant, finding that journalistic privilege rights were not adequately considered before it was issued. The Garda Commissioner sought Supreme Court review. A three-judge panel of the Supreme Court determined the case raises important issues of general public importance regarding the balance between criminal investigations and journalistic privilege, and agreed to hear the appeal. A hearing date will be fixed later in the term.