A senior politician resigns over what he described as “personal issues in my private life”. It is not suggested that these issues give rise to any “public interest” but the following day the press headlines tell millions of readers what the issues are. The individuals whose private lives are involved have not given consent. This is, in essence, the Alan Johnson story. Have the newspapers and broadcaster who have set out the “personal issues” for their readers acted responsibly and in accordance with the PCC Code?
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Month: January 2011 (Page 3 of 6)
Super-injunctions are injunctions that prevent publication of the fact that the court has made an injunction. It is now clear that they will be granted only in those rare cases where publication of the order would frustrate the very purpose of the order or where there is some other unusual and compelling reason. Continue reading
This is a Media Law Update covering the last week prepared by the Legal Information Team at Matrix Chambers, which they have kindly agreed to make available to readers of Inforrm.
Latest Cases
Woodbridge v Stapleton, QBD – 20 Jan 2011, Mackay J (5RB Case Report). Libel action in respect of 5 letters copied to 8 fellow shareholders. Defence of qualified privilege and, in respect of some letters, justification. Plea of malice by C. D applied for summary judgment and/or strike out in respect of C’s plea of malice strike out on Jameel principles. No evidence that C’s reputation had suffered any actual damage. Held. Summary judgment granted and claim struck out as an abuse of the process. Continue reading
Opinion: “More poor human rights reporting in killer of Gurkha’s son deportation case” – Adam Wagner
Immigration and deportation decisions are regularly used to attack the Human Rights Act, and are raised as examples of why it must be amended or replaced. But a recent deportation case shows that such decisions are often poorly reported and articles ignore crucial details.
Yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph reported on the case of a man who killed a Gurkha soldier’s son and cannot be deported because of human rights law. According to David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent, the controversial decision will “intensify pressure” on the prime minister “who has so far failed to deliver a Conservative promise to rip up the Human Rights Act.” Continue reading
Much has been written concerning yesterday’s long awaited verdict in the European Court of Human Rights concerning Naomi Campbell, privacy and CFAs. Continue reading
Over the past month, the Court of Human Rig
hts has handed down judgment in six Article 10 cases. We have already posted about the most recent, MGN v United Kingdom. Of the other five, two involved civil defamation claims in domestic cases. In both civil defamation cases it was held that the State had infringed the right to freedom of expression but there was no finding of violation in any of the other cases. The reasoning is not straightforward in any of these cases and there are continuing doubts about the quality of the Court’s Article 10 case law. Continue reading
Yesterday’s decision in MGN v United Kingdom (Case No. 39401/04) has become the most discussed media law case of the year so far. The combination is irresistible: a victory for the media over the hated “CFA” and the opportunity to publish more photographs of Naomi Campbell. Finally, some vindication for MGN nearly 10 years after the publication of its original article. Whatever else is said, the 6 year delay between application and judgment is unjustifiable (and would, if the Court of Human Rights had been a national court, have been a breach of Article 6). Continue reading
Reynolds Porter Chamberlain LLP (“RPC”), the well known London law firm – which regularly represents media defendants in libel and privacy cases – has launched its new RPC Privacy Blog. The blog aims to provide regular updates on UK privacy law. It is intended to supplement the recent Privacy Law Handbook, published by the Law Society and edited by RPC partner Keith Mathieson. Continue reading
The Fourth Section of the Court of Human Rights today handed down its long awaited judgment in the case of MGN v United Kingdom (Case No. 39401/04). The Mirror Group’s Article 10 challenge to recoverable success fees was unanimously upheld by the Court although its challenge to the underlying judgment failed by 6 votes to 1. Continue reading
In a post yesterday on the Index on Censorship Blog, Brian Carthcart suggests that the “News of the World” phone hacking scandal has entered a new phase. He argues that Glenn Mulcaire’s reported confirmation that a senior News of the World news editor, Ian Edmondson, commissioned him to hack phones “elevates a nagging problem into a national political crisis“. Continue reading
Recent Judgments
© 2024 Inforrm's Blog
Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑