A prominent Westminster committee will investigate the extent of PSNI spying on journalists, lawyers and human rights campaigners when it launches an inquiry into press freedom next month.
The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) Inquiry into Press Freedoms and Safety in Northern Ireland comes after it emerged police have been spying on journalists and others on an industrial scale over many years.
Last month the powerful Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) found the PSNI and Metropolitan Police approved a snooping operation against the pair.
The London-based tribunal looks at complaints from people who believe they have been the victim of unlawful covert interference.
The IPT examined allegations that the journalists were subjected to unlawful surveillance by the PSNI over their 2017 film about the 1994 Loughinisland atrocity.
Six Catholic men were shot dead in the UVF attack, which was later found to involve collusion.
In 2018 both journalists were arrested as part of a probe, led by Durham Constabulary, into a leaked document used in the film.
On their release surveillance was placed on the pair and a former Police Ombudsman official suspected of providing the document.
A court later ruled that the warrants used by police to search the journalists’ homes and the film company were “inappropriate”.
The PSNI later apologised and agreed to pay £875,000 in damages to the journalists and the film company.
As a result of the IPT process police have also been ordered to pay both journalists £4,000.
A separate action involving RTÉ‘s Vincent Kearney, who previously worked with the BBC in Belfast, is currently with the IPT.
In June last year the PSNI admitted making 823 applications for communications data for journalists and lawyers over a 13-year period from 2011-2024.
Weeks later it emerged that more than 4,000 phone communications between 12 journalists were monitored over a three-month period.
In response to the growing spy scandal, PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher established the McCullough Review, headed by London based QC Angus McCullough.
The Policing Board has asked for his report to be provided by March 31.
The NIAC, which is chaired by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, is expected to hold its first hearing on February 5.
Mr McCaffrey said on Wednesday he welcomed “the chance to address the committee and the fact we believe there are serious issues surrounding state surveillance of journalists, lawyers etc”.
Mr Birney said there needs to be a public inquiry “that can finally hold to account the PSNI and the other police forces and states agencies involved”.
“It’s clear the Policing Board has failed miserably to even appreciate what the PSNI has been at in unlawful harvesting the data of journalists, lawyers and activists,” he said.
“We hope they will step up to the plate and call an inquiry once Angus McCullough has delivered his review.
“Only through an inquiry will the local politicians get an answer to a critical question they must be asking themselves -did the PSNI have them under surveillance too?”
SDLP leader and South Belfast MP Claire Hanna, who secured the inquiry, said “it has never been more important to protect journalists who work daily to hold government accountable, expose corruption and speak truth to power.
“The recent IPT judgement concerned investigative journalism telling the story of one of the most traumatic sectarian killings of the troubles, Loughinisland, and while the UK Government continue to fail to meet the challenge of adequately dealing with our past many rely on investigative journalism to expose state failings,” she said.
“This inquiry I’ve secured will also shine a light on the risks and safety concerns faced by many journalists throughout Northern Ireland who face death threats, assaults and intimidation on a routine basis when doing their job.”
Ms Hanna said the committee will also explore the use of SLAPPS - Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.
The legal threat is often used by the powerful and wealthy to suppress public interest stories.
A spokeswoman for the Policing Board said: “At the December 5 meeting, the board agreed to accept the current terms of reference of the McCullough Review as the basis for its section 59 (of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000) request with the report to be received by March 31.
“The Chief Constable has been formally advised of the board’s decision.”