‘So you’re in favour of the government taking control of newspapers, then?’ Thus Jeremy Paxman to Hugh Grant on Newsnight. And a moment later: ‘But you do want statutory regulation?’ And then again ‘So you would regulate newspapers?’ It is a time-honoured Paxman technique, and no one would argue with his right to employ it. Nor did Grant find it especially difficult to deal with, explaining calmly that there were all sorts of viable options between the two extremes of full-on state regulation and free-for-all. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Year: 2012 (Page 45 of 60)
We commented last week on the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Flood v Times Newspapers ([2012] UKSC 11). In addition to its judgment the Supreme Court provided its usual helpful Press Summary. There was a third explanation of the reasons for decision, provided by the author of the leading judgment, Lord Mance, at the time of hand-down. Although this has not been published in written form, it can be seen on the You Tube clip below. Continue reading
A further hearing in the case of Contostavlos v Mendahun took place on Monday 26 March before Mr Justice Tugendhat. The claim, brought by the singer and X-factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos, arises out the internet publication of a “sex tape”. In a You Tube video posted last week the singer accused her former boyfriend, Justin Edwards (aka MC Ultra)(pictured) of leaking the tape. He has, however, now filed a witness statement denying responsibility and attended the hearing on Monday. Continue reading
The Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions, set up last July following “super-injunction spring”, has published its Report. In the 59 page document the Committee comes out against a privacy statute and commends the approach now being taken by the courts. Controversially, it supports the “PCC 2.0” approach to media regulation and suggests that, for the present, there should be no statutory backing for the new regulator. Continue reading
Media law news this week was dominated by the Tulisa privacy injunction and the long-awaited judgment in Flood v Times Newspapers. Tulisa used a YouTube video, which has now attracted over 3.5 million views, to “set the record straight” following the leak and publication of a private video. Continue reading
Former New Zealand test cricketer Chris Cairns has succeeded in his “Twitter libel” claim against the former Chairman of the Indian Premier League, Lalit Modi. In an judgment handed down today ([2012] EWHC 756 (QB)), Mr Justice Bean comprehensively dismissed the defendant’s defence of justification. Continue reading
The original version of this post, which was available on the blog on 6 March 2012, contained a factual inaccuracy relating to the findings of the Information Commissioner’s Office Reports into “Operation Motorman”.
Solicitors acting for Associated Newspapers Limited have asked us to make clear that the ICO Reports did not specifically deal with phone hacking. Continue reading
Module two of the Leveson Inquiry continued this week with regional police forces, police press officers and crime reporters from across the country giving evidence. There were three days of evidence. Former criminal investigator Dave Harrison started the week with surprising evidence, claiming the News of the World had jeopardised the 2006 investigation into a series of murders in Ipswich. Continue reading
In September 2011 we had a post about Baglow v Smith, a potentially very significant decision in Canada. The first instance decision of Annis J suggested that an apparently defamatory statement made in a debate on a blog or internet forum may not be found to be defamatory if the plaintiff previously engaged in the debate but did not respond to the statement despite having the opportunity to do so. Continue reading
The Report of the Joint Committee on the draft Defamation Bill, published in October 2011, identified a number of areas where it considered greater clarity was required. For the most part, the Government in its Response [pdf], published in February 2012, has accepted the recommendations made. Continue reading
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