Abstract
‘The BBC proposes to broadcast, it would appear whatever the evidence shows, a programme designed to condemn my career as an investigatory journalist … This is deeply irresponsible and not in the public interest or in the interests of justice’
– The Sun on Sunday journalist Mazher Mahmood, on a BBC Panorama programme about him
‘This is a seriously good piece of work, extremely revealing and squarely in the public interest.’
– James Harding, director of BBC news and current affairs
‘Since the programme is concerned to expose the claimant's lack of journalistic integrity, particularly when deploying his undercover disguises, it is clearly in the public interest for his appearance to be revealed.’
– Panorama editor Ceri Thomas, on identifying Mahmood
‘If the thesis of this programme is to say, this man is a wrong'un – in terms readers of the Sun would enjoy – part of that is showing what he looks like. If he did not work again in that capacity it would be no bad thing.’
– Manuel Barca QC, appearing for the BBC
‘We are identifying him tonight to make it more difficult for him to entrap people in the future.’
– John Sweeney, Panorama presenter
‘The damage that's caused, the damage for people's livelihoods, the amount of people sent to prison, it's a far more serious thing than phone hacking ever was.’
– Mark Lewis, solicitor, on Mahmood's investigations