The New Zealand Law Commission has today released its report ” “The News Media Meets New Media: Rights, Responsibilities and Regulation in the Digital Age.” The report recommends the establishment of a “News Media Standards Authority” (NMSA) to provide a one-stop shop for adjudicating complaints against all news media. Membership would be voluntary but would bring significant benefits. Continue reading
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Lord Justice Leveson’s “inquisitorial” arbitration scheme for media claims is moving closer to implementation. The word inquisitorial conjures up images of medieval magistrates acting as prosecutor and jury, and the scheme was recently criticised by David Allen Green in The New Statesman as leaving parties with “no safeguards”. Is this concern justified? Continue reading
In a recent post on the Media Standards Trust website I wrote that eight consecutive opinion polls have shown that the press has been completely out of step with public opinion on press reform. That number can now be revised up to nine, after another Sunday Times/YouGov poll (full results here) shows that the public favours the proposals for the reform of press regulation.
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Michael Simkins LLP is a leading media and commercial law firm. Across our practice, we have an outstanding reputation for providing high-quality, responsive advice delivered by experienced and talented individuals who truly understand their clients’ needs. Continue reading
Last week’s round up came just ahead of the announcement that all three parties had come to an agreement on a Royal Charter [PDF] with accompanying statute. Provisions relating to costs and exemplary damages were inserted into the Crime and Courts Bill, which will be considered by the House of Lords this week (see “In Parliament” below). An amendment was made to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill to protect certain future Royal Charters against being changed by the Privy Council without Parliamentary approval. Continue reading
In a recent post on the Head of Legal blog, I said I was worried that the press self-regulation scheme agreed by the main political parties (and to be underpinned by a Royal Charter and two pieces of legislation) would not offer bloggers what it offers the press. Let me explain my worries – and why I think every type of blog should be included. Continue reading
Lawyers for Media Standards (LMS), a lobbying group that was formed to inject balance into the debate around reforming libel laws, has issued the following press release expressing serious concerns about the proposed arbitration scheme sought to be implemented by Royal Charter, ahead of the planned House of Lords debate on press regulation on Monday 25 March 2013. Continue reading
Journalism in ‘the public interest’ is central to a healthy democracy but extremely hard to define and police. At present it has an ambiguous legal status; recognised by law but not enshrined in it. The ‘public interest’ is often (successfully) used as a defence by journalists for publishing stories or doing things which are technically illegal. Yet this protection relies on the discretion of judges and the CPS and is not underpinned in statute. Continue reading
British journalists have long looked with envy on the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Adopted in 1791, this states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Continue reading
On 19 March 2013 primary school teacher Lucy Meadows was found dead at her home. She is believed to have killed herself. The precise circumstances will not be be known until the inquest into her death. But we do know that she was monstered by tabloid newspapers when the news emerged that she was transitioning from male to female. Continue reading
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