On 27 June 2023 the House of Lords approved an amendment to the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill which aims to tackle “strategic litigation against public participation” (“SLAPPs”); the use of defamation law to silence critics. The amendment was only published the week before and was not subjected to any consultation, white paper or select committee report. Inforrm had an article arguing that the amendment is ill thought out. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Category: Media (Page 16 of 172)
On 20 June 2023, Fancourt J mentioned over two dozen names of Mirror Group employees that he suggested could have given evidence before him in the ongoing trial over alleged unlawful information gathering. The list included former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan and former People editor Neil Wallis. Continue reading
The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) said former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has broken government rules by failing to adequately consult them about his new job as a columnist with the Daily Mail. Continue reading
Prince Harry faced two days of cross-examination this week as Fancourt J continued to hear the trial in the case of Various Claimants v MGN. Continue reading
Australia’s most-decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, lost his defamation case against three newspapers that accused him of war crimes in Afghanistan. The full 742 page, 2618 paragraph judgment, Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (No 41) [2023] FCA 555, was published on 5 June 2023. Continue reading
On 17 May 2023, the Court of Appeal issued the costs order [pdf] in the long running Banks v Cadwalladr case ([2023] EWCA Civ 219). Journalist Carole Cadwalladr has been ordered to pay 60% of Arron Banks’s costs of the trial and one third of the costs in the Court of Appeal after his partial libel victory on appeal. Continue reading
On 10 May 2023, Fancourt J began hearing the trial of four claims in the Mirror Group managed “hacking” litigation. The cases include those brought by the Duke of Sussex, Nikki Sanderson, Fiona Wightman and Michael Turner. Continue reading
The Metropolitan Police made fifty-two arrests during the coronation of King Charles III on Saturday 6 May 2023. In a press release, the Met stated that the arrests were for affray, public order offenses, breach of the peace and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. Continue reading
On 25 to 27 April 2023 there was a hearing in the case of Grant v NGN and Duke of Sussex NGN before Fancourt J. NGN applied to strike out claims by Hugh Grant and Prince Harry on limitation grounds. The claimants argue that the delay in filing the claims resulted from the newspaper’s concealment of its staff’s behaviour. Continue reading
Fox Corporation has agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million (£630m) to settle a landmark defamation suit brought by the election technology company over claims repeatedly aired on Fox News suggesting its voting machines were involved in a conspiracy to rig the 2020 US presidential election. Continue reading
Recent Judgments
© 2026 Inforrm's Blog
Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑