Sir Cliff Richard wins damages from the BBC
Sir Cliff Richard has won substantial damages after London's High Court ruled the BBC had breached his privacy by televising a police raid on his house.
It said it had left him feeling violated.
The BBC said the "dramatic" ruling would have a huge impact on the media's ability to report police inquiries and scrutinise their conduct.
The broadcaster used helicopters to film detectives searching the home of Richard, 77, one of Britain's best known entertainers, when he was away on holiday in August 2014 as part of an investigation into allegations of historical child sex offences.
Prosecutors later said Richard, who maintained his innocence throughout, would face no charges due to lack of evidence.
Handing down his judgment and awarding the singer 210,000 pounds ($273,700) in damages, Justice Anthony Mann said the BBC had infringed Richard's privacy rights "without a legal justification" and "in a somewhat sensationalist way".
"I have rejected the BBC's case that it was justified in reporting as it did under its rights to freedom of expression and freedom of the press," he said.
The BBC said it was considering an appeal, saying the case would have a serious impact on all media reporting because the judge had ruled that even naming Richard as a suspect was unlawful.
"This judgment creates new case law and represents a dramatic shift against press freedom and the long-standing ability of journalists to report on police investigations," said Fran Unsworth, the BBC's Director of News and Current Affairs.
"This isn’t just about reporting on individuals. It means police investigations, and searches of people’s homes, could go unreported and unscrutinised."
Richard's lawyer Gideon Benaim said the sum awarded by the judge had been one of the highest "in this area of law".
"This clearly confirms individuals, including high profile ones, have a reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to police investigations," Benaim said.
Published: by Radio NewsHub