Their asserted right to resist such disclosure is usually called “journalistic privilege”. Journalists’ reliance on journalistic privilege has sometimes resulted in the imprisonment of journalists. Over the past two decades, the question of journalistic privilege has been litigated in numerous cases before the Irish courts. These cases have established stronger protections for journalistic privilege in Irish law, and they have repeatedly affirmed the critical importance of journalistic privilege in journalism’s essential role in Irish democracy. Since the release of the updated bill in December, there has been criticism of the provisions dealing with journalistic privilege.

Source: Irish Examiner February 17, 2026 02:31 UTC