On Tuesday, 25 November 2025, the Home Secretary and Home Office issued a full apology to Muslim community leader Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin before Hill J in the High Court and paid his costs and £225,000 in damages for wrongly alleging that he had taken part in war crimes during Bangladesh’s war of independence.

This is thought to be one of the largest libel payouts ever made by a UK government department to a citizen, given the gravity of the accusations, and follows a Supreme Court case which was decided unanimously in the claimant’s favour. The statement can be read in full here. 5RB, Law 360 and Carter Ruck have a summary. The Middle East Monitor also covered the outcome.

On Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 November 2025, lawyers for Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori argued before the High Court that the proscription of the group as a terrorist organisation is an “unprecedented and disproportionate interference with articles 9, 10 and 11” concerning the freedom of thought, expression and assembly. They argued that police reports characterised the organisation’s actions as largely non-violent and claimed that only a handful of incidents could even arguably meet the legal threshold for terrorism. The Home Secretary maintains the proscription is justified and proportionate, arguing that at least some actions amounted to terrorism and that the proscription has curbed escalating conduct without preventing pro-Palestinian protest. The hearing is scheduled to conclude on 2 December 2025 with judgement to follow. The BBC, Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Independent covered the hearings and Liberty and Doughty Street Chambers have more information.

On Wednesday, 26 November 2025, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case of The Kingdom of Bahrain (Appellant) v Shehabi and another (Respondents) UKSC/2024/0152 in relation to claims that Bahrain installed surveillance software on the computers of two dissidents living in London. The key question is whether the country has sovereign immunity and therefore whether the claimants are able to bring the claim. Bahrain lost the sovereign immunity argument at both the High Court and Court of Appeal. Law 360 and The Guardian have more information. Read the Supreme Court’s case summary here.

5RB has a blog post about the Court of Appeal’s decision to refuse Mohamed Amersi’s application to appeal Johnson J’s order concerning interim applications by the parties in his libel case against the BBC in relation to a Panorama program that he alleges defamed him.

5RB also has a summary of Travelers Insurance Company Ltd v Baldwin [2025] EWHC 2957 (KB), in which three corporate claimants were granted summary judgment and a permanent injunction after the defendant had visited their offices, sent threatening and abusive emails and published serious accusations.

We note (belatedly) two cases involving  Daley Vince in which permission to appeal has recently been granted by the Court of Appeal.

First, Warby LJ granted Dale Vince permission to appeal [pdf] against the judgment of Swift J ([2025] EWHC 1411 (KB)), which struck out Mr Vince’s claim against Associated Newspapers Limited  on the basis that it constituted an abuse of process.

Second, in the case Vince v Bailey.  On 10 November 2025 Warby LJ granted Lord Bailey [pdf] permission to appeal against the decision of Pepperall J on 11 February 2025 ([2025] EWHC 287 (KB)) .  The  Grounds of Appeal [doc] are here and the Appellant’s Skeleton Argument [doc] here.

Internet and Social Media

The European parliament has overwhelmingly supported a non-binding motion to ban under-16s from using social media unless parents consent, citing growing concerns over the mental-health impact of addictive platform features such as infinite scrolling, autoplay and aggressive notifications. The resolution calls for tighter EU rules to protect children, including default limits on addictive design and stronger safeguards within the Digital Services Act, while pushing back against US pressure to soften European tech regulation. Read the press release here. The Guardian, EuroNews and Reuters covered the development.

Data privacy and data protection

Over 70 civil liberties groups, academics and lawyers have called for an inquiry into the ICO, after the regulator failed to investigate the Ministry of Defence Afghan data breach earlier this year in what was described as “a collapse in enforcement activity.” In an open letter to Chi Onwurah, the chair of the House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, the group warned that the scandal was not an isolated case, arguing that systemic failings across the public and private sector means that data processors assume the ICO will not intervene. The Guardian, The Register, Digital Watch Observatory and MLex covered the letter.

Thames Valley police force formally charged PC Lily Maxey with breaching data protection laws on two occasions, once whilst on duty and once outside of work. She is scheduled to appear before Reading Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 1 December. Milton Keynes Citizen, Bucks Herald and Oxford Mail covered the story.

Surveillance

Domestic violence charity, Refuge has reported a sharp rise in tech-facilitated domestic abuse with referrals to its specialist team up 62% in the first nine months of 2025 and more cases involving stalkerware, deepfakes, online financial control and hidden surveillance devices. The organisation warns that perpetrators are increasingly exploiting easily accessible technology to exert coercive control, while law and regulation lag behind. Refuge is urging the Government to prioritise action on tech-facilitated abuse in its forthcoming VAWG strategy.

Newspaper Journalism and regulation

On Monday 24 November 2025, MPs on the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee questioned the Chair of the BBC, Samir Shah, and Independent Advisor to the Editorial Board Michael Prescott, who leaked the memo raising concerns about the broadcaster’s impartiality. The evidence session took place amid a governance crisis triggered by a misleading Panorama edit of a 2021 Donald Trump speech, which led to the resignations of the Director General and Head of News and a threat of a lawsuit from the US president. Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage criticised Shah’s “wishy-washy” answers and expressed doubts about the BBC board’s grip on impartiality and decision-making. Shah apologised for past failures, defended his leadership, and pledged reforms, including a faster response to controversies, a review of editorial standards processes, and the creation of a Deputy Director-General role, while Prescott argued problems were worsening but denied the BBC was institutionally biased. The BBC, Telegraph, Sky News, The Independent and GB News covered the evidence session.

Events

UCL is hosting an event titled, ‘How does planning intensify surveillance,’ on 10 December 2025 from 16:30-18:30, exploring how expanding digital systems of control reshape planning, privacy and surveillance. Register here.

IPSO

Statements in open court and apologies

As mentioned above, on Monday 24 November 2025 the Home Secretary and Home Office issued an unreserved apology in the case of Mueen-Uddin v Secretary of State for the Home Department QB-2020-002120 before Hill J. The statement can be read in full here.

New Issued cases

There was one misuse of private information claim filed on the Media and Communications list in the last week.

Last week in the courts

On Wednesday 26 November and Thursday 27 November 2025 there was a two-day trial in the libel case of Ali v Hussain KB-2024-000959.

On the same two days there was a pre-trial review in the case of Baroness Lawrence v Associated Newspapers Ltd KB-2022-003316.

On Wednesday 26 November 2025, there was an application in the case of Slobada v Rayden KB-2025-003528.

On Thursday 27 November 2025 and Friday 28 November 2025 Collins Rice J heard an appeal in the case of Hurst v Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.  There was a report in the Law Society’s Gazette.  Judgment was reserved.

On Friday 28 November 2025, the court heard an application for costs in the case of Full Colour Black Ltd v Pest Control Ltd & anr KB-2022-003469 and there was an application in the case of CFL Limited v Fraser KB-2025-003877.

On the same day, DHCJ Guy Vassall-Adams KC handed down judgement on preliminary meaning in the case of Ngo v Guardian News & Media Limited [2025] EWHC 3004 (KB). The claimant, a journalist and author of the book, ‘Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy’ brought a libel claim against the Guardian in relation to a review of a Mumford and Sons album published in March 2025. The Guardian article explained that musician, Winston Marshall had left the band in 2021 after he praised Ngo’s controversial book, Unmasked, on social media causing a public backlash. Ngo was referenced as an “”alt-right” agitator.” The court found that the impugned statement was a defamatory statement of fact, which, on its natural and ordinary meaning, would be understood to mean the claimant actively promotes far-right beliefs and, on its innuendo meaning, that he actively promotes far right, racist and white supremacist beliefs [49-50].

Media law in other jurisdictions

Azerbaijan

On 25 November 2025, the ECtHR found that a fine issued to a newspaper for publishing an article which domestic courts ruled had defamed the former chief executive of the Baku Metro infringed its Article 10 free expression rights in the case of Azadliq Newspaper v Azerbaijan (Application no. 12708/13). It held that the domestic courts failed to conduct the required balancing exercise between the newspaper’s right to publish information in the public interest and the public figure’s privacy rights, nor did they conduct a detailed analysis of the article’s content. The ECtHR found that the domestic courts failed to justify the severity of the fine, which was disproportionate to the aim pursued and not “necessary in a democratic society.” The applicant newspaper was awarded $28,000 in damages and costs.

Canada

On 26 November 2025, the Supreme Court of British Columbia dismissed the claim in the defamation case of Bhullar Enterprises Inc. v. Miller, 2025 BCSC 2326. Vet, Dr Bhullar and Atlas Animal Hosputal brought a defamation claim against Larke Miller following the defendant’s criticisms of Atlas’s veterinary standards, billing practices, and regulatory oversight on a podcast after her cat’s treatment. Miller applied to have the claim struck out on the basis that her statements were well-researched, on matters of public interest, and not the cause of any harm. The court allowed the defendant’s application to dismiss the claim pursuant to the Protection of Public Participation Act, holding that it was brought “to try to silence” the defendant [180], and awarded the defendant’s costs on an indemnity basis.

On the same day, the Supreme Court of British Columbia dismissed the defamation claim in the case of Megory Holdings Inc. v. ABZ Falling Inc., 2025 BCSC 2318. The defendant had counterclaimed against the claimants, arguing that they wrongly accused him of creating an unsafe and toxic workplace culture at his aerial pipeline maintenance company. The claimants’ defence of qualified privilege succeeded, as the court held they had a moral or personal interest in raising their concerns about the company’s employees and the recipient of the information had a reciprocal interest in hearing it.

India

India’s Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which took effect on November 14, has drawn strong criticism from journalists and press freedom groups who say it expands government surveillance, weakens privacy safeguards, and restricts access to information. The law grants broad exemptions for state agencies, curtails key provisions of the Right to Information Act, and may be used to pressure or censor critical media. The International Federation of Journalists and DW have more information.

Japan

Japanese prosecutors have indicted Takashi Tachibana, head of the NHK Party, for allegedly defaming former assembly member Hideaki Takeuchi by claiming he was under police investigation and may have died by suicide to avoid arrest. It is unusual for a trial to concern libel posthumously, and the key question is likely to be whether the defendant knew the information was false at the time. The Japan Times and Japan Today covered the development.

Mongolia

Mongolia’s Constitutional Court has struck down Article 13.14 of the Criminal Code, which is a broadly worded “false information” provision criticised as a tool to intimidate journalists. The article, used in more than 2,000 cases since 2020 but yielding only five convictions, enabled investigations without proof of falsity and was blamed for targeting journalists. Press freedom organisations have welcomed the decision and are urging parliament to formally endorse the ruling and remove the provision from law. The International Federation of Journalists has more information.

Sweden

A coalition of major Swedish news publishers has filed a criminal complaint against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, accusing the company of enabling widespread scam ads on Facebook that impersonate journalists and media brands, causing financial and emotional harm while generating substantial revenue for Meta. The group says Meta has repeatedly failed to remove fraudulent adverts despite warnings, arguing that its ad model allows criminals to operate unchecked. Meta insists it is prioritising anti-fraud efforts and has expanded tools and technology to detect and remove deceptive ads. The Press Gazette, The Local Sweden and The Express Tribune reported on the story.

Research and Resources

Next week in the courts

On Tuesday 2 December 2025 there will be a 1 day hearing for contempt directions in the case of Foot Anstey LLP and another v Stimson KB-2024-002927

On Wednesday 3 December 2025 there will be a statement in open court in the case of Islamic Relief Worldwide v GB News Limited KB-2025-003874

On Thursday 4 December 2025 there will be statements in open court in the cases of Smart Shirts Ltd v Sheffield Hallam University KB-2023-004736  and Paulley v RS Tyler Ltd KB-2025-002656.

On Friday 5 December 2025 there will be an appeal hearing in the case of Baig v Hassan KA-2025-000086.

Reserved judgements

Hurst v Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, heard 27 and 28 November 2025 (Collins Rice J)

Ali v Hussain, heard 26 and 27 November 2025

Optosafe Ltd v Robertson, heard 11 and 12 November 2025 (Steyn J)

This Round Up was compiled by Jasleen Chaggar who is the Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch.