But the idea of a charter was criticised by free speech campaign group Index on Censorship.

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Judith Vidal-Hall, former editor of Index On Censorship magazine, is the first person in the UK to begin legal action.

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The most rational reaction came from Index on Censorship, which declared the deal "a sad day for press freedom in the UK".

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The judge said he had also refused applications for core participant status made by private investigator Jonathan Rees, writers' association English Pen and the Index on Censorship.

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It will also be attended by representatives of international free expression advocacy organizations such as the International Media Support (Denmark), International Freedom of Expression eXchange (Toronto), ARTICLE 19 (London), Index on Censorship (London), International Federation of Journalists, and others.

UNESCO: Communication and Information