The proposed law aims to make it a crime to disclose the identity of a person who is under investigation for an offence
Singer Sir Cliff Richard speaks to the media outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Sir Cliff Richard, DJ Paul Gambaccini, and Daniel Janner QC have revived a campaign calling for suspects to have their anonymity protected by law unless they are charged. Picture date: Wednesday June 8, 2022.Sir Cliff, 82, won his privacy case against the BBC over its coverage of a South Yorkshire Police raid on his home in Sunningdale, Berkshire, in August 2014, following a child sex assault allegation.
The veteran star denied the allegations, he was never arrested and in June 2016 prosecutors announced that he would face no charges. Conservative former minister Sir Christopher Chope, the sponsor of the Bill, told the Commons: “It took a long time for Sir Cliff to be able to clear his name and I think it’s clear even now he still bears the scars of that ordeal, which should never have happened.
“This Bill is designed to prevent other people similarly being afflicted because somebody makes an accusation anonymously, sometimes the police then act upon it and then they tip off the media or brief the media or social media as to what has happened, thereby destroying the principles – which I think should be there – which are that people are innocent until proved guilty, and that they should be able to enjoy anonymity until such time as they might be charged with an offence.