The acquittal of four Sun journalists on Friday feels like a watershed in the struggle between journalists and the UK criminal justice system.

It underlines the fact that juries appear to be as confused as the defendants about why reporters are in the criminal dock at the Old Bailey for doing their job.

Before the current round of prosecutions a jury has never before been required to decide whether a journalist paying for a story can commit the offence of Conspiracy to Commit Misconduct in a Public Office.