Spy Tribunal Hears Case of Long-Term Surveillance on RTÉ Journalist

A high-profile legal challenge has opened before the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) in London, where veteran RTÉ journalist Vincent Kearney alleges that UK authorities subjected him to decades-long unlawful surveillance while he was a correspondent for the BBC. The tribunal heard detailed claims that intelligence services and police forces, including MI5, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and the Metropolitan Police, repeatedly accessed Kearney’s communications data in an effort to identify his confidential sources and monitor his reporting activities.

Kearney, who now serves as Northern Editor for RTÉ News and previously was the BBC’s home affairs correspondent in Northern Ireland, argues that the surveillance campaign spanned roughly eight years, starting in 2006 and extending into the mid-2010s. According to submissions before the tribunal, MI5 admitted to unlawfully obtaining his phone data on multiple occasions early in his career, and police forces acknowledged improperly acquiring communications data and creating extensive personal profiles of him.

The PSNI’s actions were described as particularly intrusive. Prosecutors told the court that officers compiled a detailed intelligence profile on Kearney, which included his date of birth, residential and workplace addresses, telephone numbers, vehicle registration information, and the names of his wife and mother-in-law. The tribunal was also told that in at least one operation, data related to 1,580 of his calls and text messages was gathered without a lawful basis.

Kearney’s legal team and representatives from the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) characterised the surveillance as a “long and consistent campaign” that breached his rights and undermined core journalistic protections. Counsel argued that obtaining confidential journalistic material was not justified and lacked consideration of the public interest or proportionality principles under human-rights law. The NUJ called the actions “an attack on public interest journalism,” and highlighted the chilling effect such state interference can have on press freedom.

The case seeks substantial damages and broader accountability for the alleged violations. The PSNI and other agencies have contended that the surveillance was part of legitimate criminal investigations, while the UK Home Office pointed to subsequent legislative updates designed to enhance protections for journalists’ materials. The hearing is expected to continue over several days, with some proceedings conducted in private.

Reference – 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr06j7j5zjo
https://www.thedetail.tv/articles/psni-mi5-surveillance-vincent-kearney-bbc
https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2026/0225/1560260-journalist-psni-case/