News: Harry Styles harassment case, photographers consent to permanent injunctions

A Case Management conference in the case of Styles v Photographer AAA and others took place before Mr Justice Dingemans yesterday at the High Court.  The One Direction singer obtained a permanent High Court harassment injunction against four paparazzi photographers.

The Press Association reported that his barrister, David Sherborne, told the judge that four individuals had so far been identified since harassment proceedings were launched last year.

Mr Sherborne said he was “happy to inform” Mr Justice Dingemans that the four defendants consented to permanent injunctions – while efforts were continuing to identify other photographers.

In December 2013, Styles was granted an injunction against unnamed individuals – ”Paparazzi AAA and others” – preventing them from pursuing the singer by car or motorcycle, placing him under surveillance, or loitering or waiting within 50 metres of his place of residence to monitor his movements or take photos of him in such circumstances.

Mr Sherborne said that Styles very keen to emphasise that he was not seeking a “privacy injunction”, nor was he trying to prevent fans from approaching him in the street and taking photographs as he was “happy with that”. He said that the action related to “the method or tactics which have been used by a certain type of photographer“.

The four individuals had been identified “by virtue of their motor vehicles and other information”, and inquiries were continuing to be made through the DVLA in an attempt to identify others.

Mr Sherborne asked the judge to adjourn the case for four weeks as further inquiries were being made.  He said it was hoped that when the case returned to court  “it will be clear whether we can identify those remaining individuals and progress proceedings, or instead bring this successful claim to an end, having achieved an end to the crazy pursuit of the claimant when he is not on official duties”.

Mr Justice Dingemans granted the adjournment, and continued the original interim injunction against unnamed paparazzi photographers.