Year: 2005

CFAs face new challenge in Lords

The long-running dispute between Naomi Campbell and The Daily Mirror returns to the House of Lords today with a challenge to conditional fee agreements in media cases.   In May last year, the House of Lords (by a 3:2… Read More »

New Ofcom Broadcasting Code

Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has today published its new Broadcasting Code. The Code, which comes into force on 25 July 2005, covers standards in programmes, sponsorship, fairness and privacy across radio and television. The single, simplified… Read More »

Harassment hotline launched by regulators

Ofcom has today issued guidance to people who find themselves at the centre of a “media scrum” and are concerned about the conduct of broadcast journalists. As a post-transmission regulator, Ofcom has no powers to… Read More »

Ofcom rejects BBC programme complaints

Two adjudications on complaints about BBC television programmes released today by media watchdog Ofcom represent victories for the media.  The cases consider the issues of fairness, the right to reply, privacy and public interest. In the… Read More »

Hello! wins ‘privacy’ appeal

The Court of Appeal has today handed down a landmark privacy judgment recognising for the first time that the courts have a duty to protect privacy interests. In summary, the Court has held: Following the von… Read More »

Latest libel Damages awards

Mr Justice Eady has today handed down two judgments in separate cases involving assessments of compensation under the offer of amends procedure of the Defamation Act 1996.   Adding to the case law on the subject, the… Read More »

Radio 2 is Station of the Year

The BBC had a successful evening at last night’s Sony Radio Awards. Radio 2 confirmed its position as the most popular station by winning the station of the year prize. Jeremy Vine, who took over the station’s lunchtime programme from… Read More »

Jessie Wallace fails in injunction bid

Eastenders’ star Jessie Wallace has failed in an attempt to prevent allegations about her private life becoming public.   On Saturday 7 May, Ms Wallace sought an injunction to prevent the News of the World… Read More »

Ofcom rejects Jerry Springer complaint

The media regulator Ofcom has cleared the BBC of breaching any television guidelines in its broadcasting of ‘Jerry Springer: The Opera’. The broadcast in January was the centre of a fierce public debate, with the BBC drawing severe… Read More »

Lords to hear Jameel Appeal

The House of Lords (Lords Bingham, Steyn & Rodger) has given permission to appeal to the Wall Street Journal Europe in the case of Jameel & Anor v Wall Street Journal Europe Sprl.   Permission has… Read More »

Beckham ‘kidnap’ libel claim fails

A Romanian alleged to have been a member of a gang plotting to kidnap Victoria Beckham has lost his claim for libel.   Mr Justice Eady today ruled that the allegations, published in the News… Read More »

New Copyright Regulations

The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 is extended to foreign authors and corporations and works published abroad by Order in Council made under s. 159. From 1st May 2005, the previous Order (Copyright (Application to… Read More »

Beckhams’ nanny gives undertakings

Mr Justice Eady today accepted undertakings from Abbie Gibson, the Beckhams’ former nanny, that she would not use or disclose further confidential information about the couple after they feared more tabloid exposés.   Separately Ms Gibson also undertook… Read More »

Beckhams fail in Injunction Bid

David and Victoria Beckham failed in a 11th hour bid for an injunction last night to prevent their former nanny from revealing details of their private life in the News of the World. The couple… Read More »

Indemnity costs in police libel case

Mr Justice Eady today awarded indemnity costs to Associated Newspapers for their successful defence of the libel claim brought by Christopher Miller, the police officer who supervised the investigation into false claims that Neil and Christine Hamilton… Read More »

Galloway case off to Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal has today granted permission to Appeal to the Telegraph to challenge the High Court judgment which awarded £150,000 in libel damages to MP, George Galloway.   Lord Justice Tuckey, who gave the judgment of… Read More »

Ofcom upholds privacy complaint

In a surprising decision by broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, the BBC has been found to have breached the privacy of a teacher by revealing in a programme that he was the unwitting object of a teenage crush. The Real… Read More »

Court dismisses police claim for libel

Mr Justice Eady today dismissed the libel claim by a police officer that he bore no responsibility for the conduct of the police investigation into the now infamous claims made by Nadine Milroy Sloan that she… Read More »

Smith & Collins Stewart win libel action

The libel action brought by the stockbrokers Collins Stewart and its Chief Executive, Terry Smith, against Dale Langley and the solicitors’ firm of Dale Langley & Co has concluded with the making of a statement in open court. … Read More »

5RB Speaker Updates Disclosure Conference

5RB’s Jonathan Barnes will be presenting “Disclosure Tools: Data Protection Act 1998; Freedom of Information Act 2000” at the 2005 CLT Disclosure, Evidence and Privilege Conference to be held in London on 29 April, 2005… Read More »