Judge to decide on police bid for journalist's Birmingham pub bombings information
West Midlands Police maintains the information could solve the 1974 attacks where 21 people lost their lives
Last updated 22nd Mar 2022
A judge is expected to deliver his ruling later in the case of a journalist who investigated the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings and resisted a West Midlands Police bid to force him to reveal his sources.
74 year old Chris Mullin is challenging an application by the force which requires him to disclose source material dating back to his investigation in the 80's.
In his book Error Of Judgement, and a series of documentaries, Mr Mullin helped exonerate the 'Birmingham Six' after their convictions were quashed in 1991.
He said that if the application were to succeed, it would "set a precedent which could be used to undermine the freedom of journalists to investigate alleged miscarriages of justice and other matters in cases involving terrorism".
He added that protecting sources is "a fundamental principle of investigative journalism".
West Midlands Police is using the Terrorism Act to bring the production order application.
James Lewis QC, representing West Midlands Police, told the Old Bailey that Mr Mullin refuses to identify the man - referred to in court as AB - "because he says he promised AB he would not reveal his identity".
The barrister said redactions and omissions in material handed to police were to protect the identity of AB.
He described the confession from AB as voluntary, accurate and reliable, adding: "In short it is a full confession to the murders."
He pointed out that this was not a third party disclosing information in the public interest.
"This is the murderer himself confessing," he said.
Mr Lewis said the benefit of the confession is "enormous" and said it would outweigh that AB had extracted "a promise of anonymity".
21 people were killed in the bomb attack on two pubs in Birmingham on November 21st 1974.