Following reports about the seven year ordeal suffered by Lily Allen, stalking is back in the mainstream media. Most people will be familiar with the term ‘stalking’. Unfortunately, familiarity can breed contempt: many people, including, significantly, many Police Officers, still either fundamentally misunderstand what stalking is, or fail to appreciate how serious a problem it presents for our society. As a result, many victims receive poor advice and little, if any, protection. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Category: Harassment (Page 5 of 6)
On Monday and Tuesday, 4 and 5 April 2016 the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland will hear an appeal from the judgment of Stephens J in CG v Facebook Ireland Ltd & Anor [2015] NIQB 11. The case will require the Court to determine a number of important issues of principle relating to intermediary liability. Continue reading
The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (“the Act”) is becoming an increasingly important tool for those seeking to protect their privacy against intrusion by the media and private individuals. The Act was introduced to combat stalking, racial harassment, and disruption from neighbours, but ‘harassment’ is not defined in the Act and its reach is therefore in fact much wider. It has the potential to catch a range of media news-gathering activities including persistent photography, trailing, and door-stepping. Continue reading
On 29 December 2015 Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 came into force. It creates the specific offence of “controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship” where the victim and the abuser are, as the Act puts it, “personally connected”. Continue reading
On 28 October 2015 Jay J entered summary judgment in favour of Russell Brand and Jemima Goldsmith in their claim for harassment against masseuse Szilvia Berki and granted them a permanent injunction. The case had been listed for trial on 30 November 2015 with a time estimate of 4-5 days. Continue reading
England’s laws are slow to catch up with the proliferation of misdemeanours which occur online, says Amber Melville-Brown in piece originally published on the Spears website. Continue reading
On 26 August 2015, Stephens J sitting in the Queen’s Bench Division in Northern Ireland, handed down judgment in the case of McAuley v Sunday Newspapers Ltd ([2015] NIQB 74). The Judge dismissed an application by the plaintiff for an injunction to prevent two newspapers from “harassing, pestering, annoying or molesting” him by publication of information. He also rejected the plaintiff’s application to continue reporting restriction and anonymization orders. Continue reading
A letter from the Queen means you’ve reached the ripe old age of 100. A letter from Kensington Palace may mean you’ve overstepped the mark snapping pictures of a royal prince. Continue reading
In Cheshire West and Chester Council and others v Pickthall, [2015] EWHC 2141 (QB) Mr Justice Edis granted an interim injunction under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 (the “PHA”) to restrain the defendant from publishing allegations of criminal conduct on the part of the claimant Council and various individuals associated with it. In doing so, he showed the balance between freedom of expression and protection from harassment at the interim stage. Continue reading
Convictions for crimes under a law used to prosecute internet “trolls” have increased eight-fold in a decade, official figures have shown. Last year 1,209 people were found guilty of offences under Section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 – equivalent to three every day – compared with 143 in 2004. Continue reading
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