The Leveson Inquiry is gathering pace, but civil society involvement remains problematic. A call for submissions was reiterated verbally at hearings this week. The call also features on the Inquiry website, but the website doesn’t issue a formal call for evidence with questions, nor is there a clear deadline. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Month: October 2011 (Page 1 of 6)
With Lord Justice Leveson’s preliminary October seminars completed, the full Inquiry will begin properly on 14 November, with “opening statements”. Evidence is likely to be taken until February 2012. Following the Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service’s joint submissions on the impact of the Inquiry on the criminal investigation, a hearing on Monday 31 October 2011 will discuss how the “interface” between the inquiry and the police investigation should be handled. A call for additional evidence has been made via the Leveson Inquiry website. We reported these updates in more detail here. Continue reading
We would like to draw readers’ attention to the recent updates to our “Forthcoming Cases” table. This covers two categories of media law cases. First, those which have been heard and where judgment has been reserved. We have now expanded the table to cover all the cases we are aware of (in particular, those which we have listed at the end of our weekly round ups). Continue reading
At a hearing on 26 October 2011 the Leveson Inquiry announced that the Inquiry proper would begin on 14 November 2011 with “opening statements”. The first witnesses are due to appear a week later on 21 November 2011, with 18 victims of unethical behaviour by the press being the first to give evidence. The hearing of evidence is likely to last until February 2012. A transcript of the hearing is now available on the Inquiry website. There were reports of the hearing, inter alia, in the “Guardian” and the “Independent“. Continue reading
Last week we had two “polls” of our readers – on frequency and subject matter of posting. On the first, the results were perhaps not surprising. A clear majority – 60% of the voters – favoured one post a day. Nobody wanted less than one a day. Continue reading
Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry into phone hacking will take place before the conclusion of two criminal investigations and possible criminal trials. Normally, a public inquiry as a route of investigation is an alternative rather than a precursor to criminal investigation or prosecution. Continue reading
The NME has failed in its attempt to get Morrissey’s long-running libel action against them struck out. In a judgment given by Tugendhat J at the High Court on 26 October 2011 the magazine’s application was dismissed [2011] EWHC 2738 (QB), with the Guardian reporting that the case will be heard next year. The singer told the newspaper that he will now “be able to use the very public forum of the high court in London to clear my name, loud and clear for all to hear.” The NME was similarly bullish, saying to the same paper that it welcomed the chance to bring the matter to an end. Continue reading
Jeremy Clarkson has discontinued his privacy action against his ex-wife, Alexandra Hall, leading to the discharge of an anonymised privacy injunction. As reported in the “Daily Mail” and the “Daily Telegraph” the injunction concerned a claim by Ms Hall that she had had an affair with Mr Clarkson after he had re-married. Continue reading
The “News of the World” phone hacking furore continues to gain momentum, with more than 60 individuals bringing legal proceedings claiming that their personal voicemails were intercepted without their consent, the creation of a large “settlement fund”, and the first test cases set for trial in early 2012. Questions inevitably arise as to what legal rights may have been infringed. Continue reading
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