Lord Justice Laws recognised that the protection of journalistic sources is one of the basic conditions for press freedom, that leaked or stolen material may need protection as journalistic material, and finally that non-journalists including cameramen, interpreters, and assistants may also need the law's protection.
Stephen Kovats QC, for the Home Office, told the court: "We now do not deny that amongst material that Mr Miranda was carrying is journalistic material … material that has been worked upon by a journalist with a view to publication".
Steven Kovats QC, for the Home Office, told the court: "We now do not deny that amongst material that Mr Miranda was carrying is journalistic material... material that has been worked upon by a journalist with a view to publication".
The detention of David Miranda, the partner of the former Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, at Heathrow airport was unlawful and the first time journalistic material has been seized under a controversial provision of the Terrorism Act, his lawyers have told the high court.
Rusbridger says Miranda was carrying journalistic material.
"There was clearly some good journalistic material here.
So in mainland Britain, if you are carrying journalistic material you have checks and balances.
He said that Miranda had "journalistic material" with him when he was detained.
"Israel should also refrain from confiscating any journalistic material as it has done in past raids".
The judges declined to recognise that the seized files were primarily "journalistic material".
He added: "We do not understand that raw Snowden data is journalistic material".
