On 11 October 2022 a unilateral statement in open court [pdf] was read before Nicklin J in the case of Smith v Backhouse. A former lecturer at University College London Dr Christopher Backhouse paid US academic Dr Erica Smith £49,975 in damages to settle High Court privacy and harassment proceedings. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Category: Harassment (Page 1 of 6)
There was a substantial increase in the number of new claims issued in the Media and Communications List of the Queen’s Bench Division (“the M&C List”) in 2021. A total of 564 new claims were issued, a 50% increase on the number of claims issued in 2020 (373). For the first time, over 50% of all new claims were in data protection. Continue reading
In Sube & Anor v News Group Newspapers Ltd & Anor (Rev 1) [2020] EWHC 1125, Warby J (as he then was) distilled several points that had arisen from the limited number of authorities that have addressed claims for harassment by publication to the world at large (hereinafter simply referred to as ‘harassment by publication’). Continue reading
This is Part 2 of a two part post dealing with a concrete example of the way in which the Online Safety Bill is should operate. Part 1 set out the example and the applicable duties. It was published on 9 November 2021. The concluding Part of the post deals with the implementation of these duties Continue reading
On 12 October 2021, Oxford County Court handed down judgment in Fairhurst v Woodard (Case No: G00MK161). A dispute between neighbours over the use of cameras for security purposes, the case gave rise to successful claims in harassment and data protection, and offers an important note of caution for those looking to install surveillance systems to protect their homes. Continue reading
One of the many unfortunate side effects of life in lockdown has been an increase in online abuse, with police, cybersecurity firms and charities alike reporting an increase in online stalking and harassment, as well as a surge in cases of revenge porn. Continue reading
One of the many unfortunate side effects of life in lockdown has been an increase in online abuse, with police,cybersecurity firms and charities alike reporting an increase in online stalking and harassment, as well as a surge in cases of revenge porn. Lockdowns cause internet use and screen time to increase, while making it harder for victims to conceal their location or avoid social media. As a result, not only is online abuse more frequent, but its effects can be even more devastating. Continue reading
One of the many unfortunate side effects of life in lockdown has been an increase in online abuse, with police, cybersecurity firms and charities alike reporting an increase in online stalking and harassment, as well as a surge in cases of revenge porn. Lockdowns cause internet use and screen time to increase, while making it harder for victims to conceal their location or avoid social media. As a result, not only is online abuse more frequent, but its effects even can be even more devastating. Continue reading
In Sube & Anor v News Group Newspapers Ltd & Anor (Rev 1) [2020] EWHC 1125 (QB) the High Court emphatically rejected a claim for harassment against media organisations. The case highlights the difficulties faced by claimants in harassment proceedings against media organisations, as it must be found that the conduct by the media organisation constituted a conscious or negligent abuse of media freedom. This will, unsurprisingly, be difficult to prove in most cases. Continue reading
The case of Sube v News Group Newspapers is a rare claim for harassment brought against a media publisher – only the second such claim to have proceeded to trial in England and Wales. In a judgment handed down on 7 May 2020 ([2020] EWHC 1125 (QB)), Warby J dismissed the claims brought against News Group and Express Group. Continue reading
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