Judge orders BBC to release emails related to Martin Bashir

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Martin Bashir stepped down from his role at the BBC in 2021

A judge has strongly criticised the BBC for failing to release a large number of emails relating to the scandal over Martin Bashir's 1995 interview with Princess Diana on Panorama.

The documents had been requested by a journalist, who was investigating what managers at the corporation knew and what had been done about the reporter.

Mr Bashir officially stepped down from his job at the BBC in 2021.

It emerged he had secured the interview through deception and faking documents.

The court ruling relates to a freedom of information request made by journalist Andy Webb.

He wants to see the emails BBC managers sent each other about Mr Bashir over a two month period in 2020.

The BBC disclosed a small number of messages to Mr Webb, but it has now emerged there were more than 3,000 emails.

The corporate has said these contain "irrelevant" or "legally privileged" information.

Judge Brian Kennedy KC ordered the BBC to release more emails - saying the corporation had been "inconsistent, erroneous and unreliable" in the way it dealt with the initial request.

The judge added the BBC's response had been a "cause for serious concern".

In a statement the BBC accepted mistakes had been made but says it is considering the judgement.

The corporation says it has also apologised to Andy Webb and the tribunal.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Webb welcomed the judgement.

Mr Bashir's departure from the BBC came after questions were raised about how he secured the interview with Princess Diana. Watched by more than 20 million people, the interview was considered a huge scoop for the BBC at the time.

But questions about the manner in which interview was secured started to be asked within a short time of its airing.

In 2021, an independent inquiry by Lord Dyson, a former senior judge, found that Mr Bashir used deception to secure the interview and then lied to BBC managers.

These appeared to show payments by a newspaper group to a former member of staff of Earl Spencer, Princess Diana's brother.

The Dyson report said this was to gain Earl Spencer's confidence, so he would introduce Mr Bashir to Diana.

When questioned by BBC bosses, Mr Bashir admitted having the statements mocked up, but repeatedly denied showing these documents to Earl Spencer.

The report said Mr Bashir "lied and maintained the lie until he realised that it was no longer sustainable. This was most reprehensible behaviour which casts considerable doubt on his credibility generally".

Mr Bashir has previously said mocking up the documents "was a stupid thing to do" and he regretted it, but said they had had no bearing on Diana's decision to be interviewed.