NightJack update and round up

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Following the Times notable victory over decency yesterday they’ve graciously allowed NightJack to respond in an article I can’t help but feel is very reminiscent of a communist show trial where the accused is allowed to publicly confess their sins and misdemeanors. The tactics he describes the Times using are also very reminiscent of those used to expose Girl with a one track mind, so they definitely have form on this one. speaking of having form it would seem that the Mendacious Patrick Foster, that fearless journalist so desperate to move on from the celebrity pages he’s prepared to sacrifice the career of a decent man to do so, also has form for hacking and covertly filming people having sex – which I think clearly tells us his views on peoples privacy. Whilst as many have pointed out no one has a right to privacy and on the internet probably not a lot of expectation of it either, that still doesn’t make the Times actions in any way justifiable. However there is one very slim upside from this as noted by Anna Raccoon there is now some precedent for investigating and publishing identifying material relating to a serving police office as prohibited by the counter terrorism act 2008.

Update
Daniel Finkelstein responds, and another Times journalist expresses mixed feelings.

Round up of other blogs
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Talking of anonymous police

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Whilst the value of police bloggers is in mind I’d like to bring your attention to a “recent”* post of Inspector Gadgets. Who in a “fond” farewell to Hazel Blears time in the home office chair, links to a quite interesting report on the value of our plastic police, sod all it seems. It seems that the powers that be would rather that the finding the plastics have little use except for vehicle crime oh and they spend 71% of their time in the Station. Well worth reading all 9 pages.

Meanwhile it seems that other police are using false arrest to collect DNA samples (Hat tip Samiz Data & Old Holborn), you’ll note in this case that the mainstream media are quite happy to quote an anonymous member of the force. Perhaps it’s just the Times that doesn’t like such things, or perhaps it’s OK to be anonymous as long as you speak to the press.

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NightJack exposed for the vanity of the Times

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Until he stopped writing it I used to very much enjoy NightJacks view of the police, and his guide for decent people is invaluable. Now however thanks to The Times and that champion of free speech Justice Eady, the only way you’ll get to read his words is if you stumble across them in a cache somewhere. Despite having ceased blogging a while back, to go and write a novel, the Times felt that it would be a good thing to let everyone know who he was. This has already resulted in him getting written warning from his force and as his views were honest and not always full of praise for the higher echelons of the force, I suspect it won’t do his career and general work life much good.

Sadly I fear that Justice Eadys ruling was the correct one, though I’m not sure I agree with him that blogging is essentially a public business, and I definitely don’t agree that just because a blogger is a member of the police that automatically makes there real identity a matter of public interest. The story in the Times though seems to be without merit. I’ve no idea if this is part of a retaliation from the main stream media against those nasty upstart bloggers as some suggest. There’s nothing to be done to undo this situation, though if NightJack does ever publish a novel I’ll be buying it, in the meantime as Iain Dale asks will the Times cease to quote unnamed sources “close to…”, we can also as Hopi Sen suggests write to the Times to share our opinion of their actions. I am sadly sure, again as Iain Dale suggests, that this will have an impact on other bloggers and commentators involved in the justice systems and other organs of the state. I would though second the thought that it should also have an impact on who might want to talk to the Times, whilst I’m unlikely to ever have anything of interest to say I do know that in the unlikely event I do I won’t be saying it to the Times and who knows I may yet be at a demo and see something of note.

Oh and if anyone happens to know anything much at all about Patrick Foster of the Times Old Holborn feels it would be quite in the public interest for such things to be shared.

Update: The Independent knew but didn’t tell who NightJack is. (Tip of the tifter to Woman on Raft)

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