Final Battle to Release the BBC’s Balen Report

This just in from the Jewish Chronicle:

What is likely to be the final battle in a six-year campaign to force the BBC to release a report into its Middle East coverage began at the Supreme Court on Wednesday.

London solicitor Steven Sugar first sought the publication of the Balen Report early in 2005 under the newly introduced Freedom of Information Act.

But although he died early this year, his widow, Fiona Paveley, was granted permission to continue the fight in his name . . .

This week’s case was due to have come before the Supreme Court in February but was postponed because of Mr Sugar’s death the previous month.

The Balen report was a BBC-commissioned assessment of its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Written in 2004 by Malcolm Balen, the Beeb has spent at least £250,000 in license-fee money on legal fees trying to cover up the report.

HonestReporting’s FOI request for the report was also turned down.