A number of newspaper groups have, today, proposed their own “Royal Charter” for the “Independent Self-Regulation of the Press” [pdf] to incorporate a “recognition panel” to determine applications for recognition from Regulators. The proposal comes from the national newspapers – not including the Guardian or the Independent. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Month: April 2013 (Page 2 of 5)
A COUPLE of jurors have been in the news recently, one for speaking his mind in court, one for speaking his mind on Facebook. One is now facing a contempt charge after he allegedly committed his thoughts on being chosen to try a man charged with sexual offences against a child to his Facebook page. He may be regretting being quite so frank in allegedly saying he “wanted to fuck up a paedophile.” Continue reading
One cannot fail to be shocked by the way in which the Cumbrian police have dealt with those who leaked information to the press about the excessive expenses of their recently elected Police and Crime Commissioner. The Commissioner, Richard Rhodes, held a press conference in which he admitted that it was wrong to have incurred the cost of hiring a private chauffeur at the public’s expense, but then said he was not responsible for the decision to prosecute those who put the information into the public domain. Continue reading
The death of Margaret Thatcher has generated acres of commentary and reaction across all kinds of media; from Twitter to newspaper front pages to placards and banners. The reactions have been extreme both in praise and contempt. The negative views of Baroness Thatcher and reactions to her death have been particularly eye-catching and right wing newspaper editorials in particular have portrayed them as being inappropriate and offensive. Continue reading
The European Court of Human Rights has given its decision in Animal Defenders International, holding that the ban on political advertising on the broadcast media does not violate Article 10. I had been convinced that the Strasbourg Court, following earlier decisions in cases involveing Switzerland and Norway, would come to the opposite conclusion – but I am relieved that they did not. Continue reading
What does the draft Royal Charter really mean when it sets out the three core touchstones of press regulation recommended by Lord Justice Leveson – that it is ‘voluntary’, ‘independent’ and ‘self-regulatory’? And how far are these qualities reflected in press regulation overseas?
Continue reading
The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has dismissed the application in the case of Animal Defenders International v United Kingdom. In a decision made by a majority of 9 votes to 8, the Grand Chamber held that the UK’s ban on political advertising in the broadcast media was not a violation of Article 10 of the Convention. Continue reading
There are two key developments in Parliament to report this week: the House of Commons rejected proposals to stop corporations suing for defamation unless they can show serious financial loss. After a short debate the House approved a Government motion to disagree with Amendment No.2 by 298 votes to 230. Justice Minister Helen Grant said the government was “prepared to consider actively that aspect of the Lords amendment further, and we will listen carefully to the views expressed in both Houses”. Continue reading
The whole idea of ‘free speech’ has had a few challenges this last week or so. The Paris Brown saga (about which I’ve written here), the decision by the BBC not to play ‘Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead’ though it reached number two in the charts, the various attempts to block protests at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, the late amendments to the Defamation Act to remove the proposed controls over companies’ abilities to sue for libel, and the arrival in court of the Sally Bercow/Lord McAlpine twitter defamation trial about which I wrote this in December). Continue reading
In a trial that ran for 55 days late last year and concluding in February this year, the plaintiff, Derick John Sands, has lost his claim for defamation, as well as other claims including a breach of confidence and a breach of his right to privacy. Judgment was given on 5 April 2013 ([2013] SASC 44). Continue reading
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