Email discusses editors paying witnesses and criminals for stories, citing PCC code and suggesting potential unethical payments

Date: Saturday, March 12 2011 02:15 AM Subject: Fw: Daily Mail From: Gmax To: [email protected]; -—— Original Message ----- From: Ross ¢0w a - To: C2 <i >; Ross Gow ~ 'a Jan Ian Maxwell iii .. Kevin Maxwell —_—* Gareth Thompson <j Bn eeeeeer—C—“CtiCSS Cc: Brian Basham {ii i_ i Sent: Thu Mar 10 16:29:24 2011 Subject: Re: Daily Mail Maz is the most devious and cunning of the bunch. However, Editors can pay for people, stories and documents. They can even pay criminals if it is in the public interest. Maz can pay who he wants for info but the Yorkshire Ripper for instance, as a convicted criminal, can't sell his story...unless in public interest cos there was say, a bent detective. Below is from PCC Code for Editors. It is not well drafted. 15 Witness payments in criminal trials 1) No payment or offer of payment to a witness - or any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness - should be made in any case once proceedings are active as defined by the Contempt of Court Act 1981. This prohibition lasts until the suspect has been freed unconditionally by police without charge or bail or the proceedings are otherwise discontinued; or has entered a guilty plea to the court; or, in the event of a not guilty plea, the court has announced its verdict. *i1) Where proceedings are not yet active but are likely and foreseeable, editors must not make or offer payment to any person who may reasonably be expected to be called as a witness, unless the information concerned ought demonstrably to be published in the public interest and there is an over-riding need to make or promise payment for this to be done; and all reasonable steps have been taken to ensure no financial dealings influence the evidence those witnesses give. In no circumstances should such payment be conditional on the outcome of atrial. *ii1) Any payment or offer of payment made to a person later cited to give evidence in proceedings must be disclosed to the prosecution and HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_030229