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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