Journalists who interviewed Shamima Begum will not be forced to give their notes to counter-terrorism investigators, a judge ruled yesterday.

The Metropolitan Police had applied for orders to force BBC, ITN, Sky News and The Times to hand over notes and footage from interviews with Begum. A production order, under the Terrorism Act, requires police officers to prove that the journalists’ material is ‘sought for the purposes of a terrorist investigation.’

However, joint legal opposition from ITN, Sky News and The Times continuously resisted the application, arguing that the order would ‘deprive journalists of their neutrality and place them at risk by making them de facto actors of the state.’

Judge Mark Dennis QC ruled: ‘…the work of investigative journalists in particular does rely upon trust, confidentiality, protection of journalistic material and sources, their perceived neutrality, and the co-operation of people who are prepared to place their trust in journalists.’