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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

David Miranda is appealing a court decision [theguardian.com] that upheld the legality of his detention while carrying Snowden documents in 2013:

David Miranda [theguardian.com], the partner of the former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, has launched a fresh appeal challenging the legality of his detention under counter-terrorism powers for nine hours at Heathrow airport in 2013. The hearing at the court of appeal in London is an attempt to overturn an earlier decision by a lower court that holding him under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 was lawful.

Around 60,000 people a year are held in such controversial port stops. The Home Office has argued that border controls exist to check on travellers where there is insufficient information to justify an arrest.

Miranda's first legal challenge was supported by the Guardian. This court of appeal challenge is funded by First Look Media, which publishes the online magazine the Intercept [theintercept.com]. The organisation said the appeal had been brought to defend freedom of expression and journalists' rights.

When Miranda was stopped in August 2013, he was carrying encrypted files containing journalistic material derived from the US National Security Agency contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden [theguardian.com], his lawyer told the appeal court.

[...] Last year three high court judges dismissed the challenge brought by Miranda, accepting that his detention and the seizure of computer material was "an indirect interference with press freedom" but said this was justified by legitimate and "very pressing" interests of national security.

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