The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Beware the defamation minefield … New Zealand barrister Steven Price has a 12-point checklist that’s especially useful for the unwary
How do you avoid being sued for defamation? That’s easy. Don’t ever say anything interesting. If you do want to say something that might reflect negatively on someone else, there is always a chance that they will sue you for defamation. Continue reading
Day 21 (Part 2): Rebekah Brooks told the wife of a professional golfer how easy it was to hack the phones of famous people, the Old Bailey was told today. Eimear Cook said that Mrs Brooks had warned her of the ease with which voicemails could be eavesdropped over lunch at the house of mutual friends. Continue reading
Day 21 (Part 1): Andy Coulson offered Clive Goodman “every possible support” after he was arrested for hacking into the voicemails of aides to the Royal family, the phone hacking trial heard today. Mr Coulson, then News of the World editor sympathised with Mr Goodman in phone call on 8 November 2006. The call was secretly taped by Mr Goodman. Continue reading
Where will the new Liberal-National Coalition government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott head with the reform of media regulation? Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Attorney-General George Brandis were vocal opponents of the former Gillard Government’s proposals to merge press self-regulation with broadcast co-regulation into a new framework.
The phone hacking trial of Rebekah Brooks, Andy Coulson and six others continued at the Central Criminal Court. This week saw Days 16, 17, 18 (Parts 1 and 2) and 19 (Parts 1 and 2) of the trial – with no hearing on Friday 22 November 2013. The jury heard evidence about from a number of witnesses including Sun lawyer Justin Walford and a various former News of the World journalists and employees. Continue reading
This month’s Lords debate on the Lobbying Bill included a statement by Lord Wallace for the government on why it is refusing to introduce a more comprehensive register of lobbyists. He said: Continue reading
Australia risks being left behind as a media law backwater while other nations pursue defamation law reforms designed to meet the realities of digital publishing and social media. Continue reading
Every ethical journalist must surely accept the principle that if the press is tough on wrongdoing in other walks of life – banks, energy companies, the police, social workers – then it must be at least equally tough on wrongdoing in its own ranks. Continue reading
R (on the application of London Christian Radio Ltd & Christian Communications Partnerships) v Radio Advertising Clearance Centre & Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport [2013] EWCA Civ 1495. The ban on Christian Radio’s proposed advert seeking data on the “marginalisation of Christians” in the workplace was lawful and did not constitute an interference with free speech, the Court of Appeal has ruled. When determining whether a radio or television advertisement was “political” fur the purposes of Section 321(2)(b) of the Communications Act 2003 the court should consider the text objectively; the motives of the advertiser were irrelevant. Continue reading
The absolute exemption at section 41 of the Freedom of Information Act extends to information obtained by the public authority the disclosure of which would give to an actionable breach of confidence. Does the obligation of confidence survive the death of the confider? If so, would a breach of that obligation be actionable, even if it is not clear exactly who could bring such an action? These issues arise most notably in the context of medical records. The Upper Tribunal has had something to say on this in two recent decisions. Continue reading
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