Millana Booysen
The second is privacy. This is a very hot topic in British media and criminal justice law - but the basic rule is that the police will not, other than in very exceptional circumstances, name someone who is under investigation.
Session
In England, there are a number of overlapping laws that constrain what the police - and, as a consequence, the media - might be able to say about a live investigation.
If someone is arrested, the law of Contempt of Court is very clear that they have a right to a fair trial - assuming they are going to be charged - and that right should not be damaged by what’s known as prejudicial reporting.
Details of a police investigation, such as precisely what detectives are looking for, why they are looking for it, what they have gathered so far and their assessment of that evidence, is all material that could sway the public’s mind.
That is why the British media often says very little about a live case compared with other countries where there is more of a free for all.
The second is privacy. This is a very hot topic in British media and criminal justice law - but the basic rule is that the police will not, other than in very exceptional circumstances, name someone who is under investigation
Why? Because investigation is not proof of a crime. People who are suspected of wrongdoing are entitled to get their life back if and when police conclude they were not involved in any wrongdoing.