Sky News is partially owned by Rupert Murdock's News Corporation. News Corporation of course involved in the ongoing scandal and ongoing investigation of phone hacking at News Corporation controlled and owned newspapers.
Under British law email hacking is illegal and a criminal offense.
In a just-issued statement, Sky News says "Sky News is committed to the highest editorial standards. Like other news organisations, we are acutely aware of the tensions that can arise between the law and responsible investigative journalism. On two occasions, we have authorised a journalist to access the email of individuals suspected of criminal activity.''
Sky News says the police were aware of their actions. The head of Sky News John Ryley said in one of the cases the email hacking was carried out in relation to Anne Darwin, who helped her husband John Darwin in faking his own death.
He said Sky News "stand by these actions as editorially justified and in the public interest". He said "Sky News do not take such decisions lightly or frequently. They require finely balanced judgement based on individual circumstances and must always be subjected to the proper editorial controls."
