Damien

That's a ridiculous comparison. First of all I would not be happy with them hacking my e-mail because I've done nothing to deserve that, additionally if I had done something to deserve it I still wouldn't be happy because I wouldn't want them to uncover it.

That's not the point. I am content to have news organisations bend the law when it's clearly in the public interest. The trick is to have an editor who is careful when approving such practises, and it must be approved, and can defend it when it's become clear what they have done. In this case there was both a crime that had taken place and a realistic likelihood that they would find evidence in the e-mails.

An example would include The Telegraph breaking the law to obtain the expenses files, clearly in the public interest.

I think Sky were pushing it slightly here but given this was the e-mail of someone who was trying to hide their involvement with a serious criminal act and that the hacking of the e-mail would likely result in evidence to prove their involvement, rather than a fishing expedition, I think it just about holds up. Obviously the fact that the police were already means it's quite borderline but on balance I think we can give the benefit of the doubt. Especially since Sky News' previous conduct gives us nothing to suggest more sinister motives nor do they make it a habit of breeching privacy for trivial reasons.