COPS issued a signal last night about plans to keep the names of defendants secret in a partial victory for the press and free speech.
The College of Police suggested remove current guidelines who say people indicted “should” be identified, rather than saying they “could” be named.
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It would give forces freedom to decide on a case-by-case basis who to name, raising concerns from advocates of open justice and freedom of expression and the media.
Other proposed changes include a recommendation that information on charges be released only “when the crime is of a serious nature, such as rape or murder” or when the incident has already been reported in the media.
Last night a spokesperson for the College of Policing said: “We have listened to the feedback on draft proposals around our media relations guidelines and we do not want to do anything that undermines open justice.
“We will use common sense, working closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office to try and resolve the issues, and media organizations to ensure that journalists continue to have access to the information they need. doing.”
The Society of Editors stressed its opposition to the changes, saying any changes to the guidelines should “strengthen” open justice, not limit it.
Media representatives will be invited to discuss any changes before any decisions are made.