The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
This post originally appeared in “Free Press” , the Journal of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom and is reproduced with permission and thanks.
When Steve Bell launched his long-running Guardian cartoon strip “If…” in 1981, one early episode was titled “If … dinosaurs roamed Fleet Street”. It showed the beasts marauding up the street, laying waste to newspaper offices and all in their path.
The case of Bristol City Council v C and others ([2012] EWHC 3748 (Fam)) was an application for a reporting restriction order arising out of care proceedings conducted before the Bristol Family Proceedings Court. The proceedings themselves were relatively straightforward but, in the course of the hearing, information came to light which gave rise to concerns of an “unusual nature”, which alerted the interest of the press. Continue reading
Journalisted is an independent, not-for-profit website built to make it easier for the public, to find out more about journalists and what they write about. It is run by the Media Standards Trust. It collects information automatically from the websites of British news outlets. Articles are indexed by journalist, based on the byline to the article. Keywords and statistics are automatically generated, and the site searches for any blogs or social bookmarking sites linking to each article. Continue reading
The new legal term began last Friday. This runs from 11 January to 27 March 2013. We have information about one important media law appeal – in the important privacy and harassment case of Trimingham – listed in this period. We are also aware of five libel actions listed for trial. Please let us know if there are any other media law cases which will be dealt with in the next legal term. Continue reading
On 14 January 2013 the Observer decided to delete the online version of an article by Julie Burchill printed in its edition last Sunday, together with readers’ comments on it, most of which were critical. It also apologised for publishing the piece. But you can read it on Toby Young’s Telegraph blog, where it’s since been republished.
In response to a number of requests from perplexed readers, we are granting an extension of time for submissions of answers to the Inforrm media law quiz of the year. A number of distinguished media lawyers have told us that they are unable to answer a single question. If true, this demonstrates a lamentable failure to read Inforrm over the past year. The blog contains straightforwards answers to a number of the questions. Continue reading
On Friday 11 January the Interim Applications Court of the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court issued “A guide for self-represented litigants”. As many readers will know, the Interim Applications Court (known as ‘Court 37’) deals with applications for orders pending the final trial of a case in the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court at the Royal Courts of Justice – in the media context, applications for interim privacy and harassment injunctions. Continue reading
Six weeks after the publication of the Leveson report it might appear that nothing much is happening, but that is not the case. Though Leveson’s call for a transparent, public process for the implementation of his recommendations has been largely ignored, there is none the less activity on several fronts. Continue reading
There’s still time to enter the Inforrm Media Law Quiz of the Year – just. Entries must be received by 14 January 2013. Inforrm also had a quick preview of the year ahead, marking its return from a winter break. Continue reading
The Leveson Report is a careful compromise designed to protect both freedom of expression and privacy. Lord Justice Leveson accepted the arguments of the press that a system of statutory regulation should not be imposed on them. He offered them the almost unique privilege of self-regulation – subject only to oversight of the regulator by Ofcom or a “recognition commissioner”. He suggested a number of incentives to encourage publishers to join the new regulatory body. One of the most important concerns exemplary damages. Continue reading
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