Calls for those accused of sexual assault to be given anonymity have been rejected by a journalist and media law trainer.

David Banks, pictured left, who co-wrote three past editions of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, says the notion would be “wrong for a multiplicity of reasons”.

In a piece for The Independent, written after police announced this week no further action would be taken against MP Mark Pritchard following allegations of rape, David said the idea that some accusations warrant anonymity “chips away at the bedrock of an open justice system”.

In the piece he highlighted issues including those accused of other crimes potentially asking for the same right, and problems arising in cases of historic sex abuse whereby giving the accused anonymity would lead to problems in gathering evidence from other possible victims.

He wrote: “Sometimes in such cases naming the accused prompts other victims to come forward and the detail of their accounts, added to that of other victims builds a case against the accused.

“This was what happened in the case of former TV presenter Stuart Hall, whose victims came forward separately and effectively corroborated one another with the details they gave.”

David added: “Giving anonymity to those accused of such offences also lends weight to the suspicion many victims make up allegations and that anonymity for the accused should be given ‘just in case’ this is another invented accusation.”

The full piece can be read here.