Year: 2010

Public authority loses privilege appeal

The Court of Appeal today handed down judgment in Clift v Slough Borough Council, finding in favour of the Claimant and against the Appellant Council. The appeal concerned the relationship between the qualified privilege defence in… Read More »

Procedure Group calls for defamation reform

A procedural reform group chaired by 5RB’s Sir Charles Gray has published recommendations for procedural reform to achieve earlier and cheaper resolution of defamation claims. The Early Resolution Procedure Group, whose barrister members were Adrienne… Read More »

Former MP loses ‘expenses’ libel claim

The Evening Standard has obtained summary judgment in a libel claim brought against it by former Conservative MP Jacqui Lait. Ms Lait sued the newspaper in respect of an article published before the election, on… Read More »

Flood v Times may go to Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has proposed granting Times Newspapers Ltd permission to appeal from the decision of the Court of Appeal in Flood v Times Newspapers Limited [2010] EWCA Civ 804, subject to the Times paying the costs of… Read More »

Supreme Court liberalises fair comment

The Supreme Court has today handed down judgment in Spiller & Anor v Joseph & Ors [2010] UKSC 53, the first case in which it has considered the law of defamation. The issue which came… Read More »

New Supplement to Gatley published

A supplement to the 11th edition of Gatley on Libel and Slander has been published.  It is jointly edited by former 5RB member HHJ Richard Parkes QC and Professor Horton Rogers and features contributions from… Read More »

Solicitor wins phone hacking libel claim

A libel action brought by solicitor Mark Lewis against the Press Complaints Commission and its chair,  Baroness Buscombe, has settled with payment to Mr Lewis of a sum in damages and a statement in open court. It is… Read More »

Melanie Phillips apologises for libel

Writer Melanie Phillips and the Spectator have apologised to British Muslim Initiative leader Mohammad Sawalha for an article alleging that he made an anti-Semitic statement, and have agreed to pay him damages and his legal costs. Ms… Read More »

ICO imposes first DPA breach fines

The Information Commissioner’s Office has imposed its first fines for breaches of the Data Protection Act, fining Hertfordshire County Council £100,000 and employment services company A4e £60,000. The Council was fined for sending faxes containing sensitive data… Read More »

Sun apologises for body scanner libel

News Group Newspapers apologised to Jonathan Laker, a security guard at Heathrow Airport, over a front page article in The Sun which falsely alleged that Mr Laker had abused his position as a security guard… Read More »

Ronaldo wins libel damages

Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year and former Manchester United star, today accepted substantial damages and an apology from the publishers of The Daily Telegraph in respect of an article in July 2008… Read More »

5RB tops directory ranking

5RB as a set and many individual members have been top ranked in the Chambers & Partners directory for 2011. The directory describes 5RB as a “mega set” for defamation and privacy, going on to describe it as “Multidisciplinary in… Read More »

New edition of Borrie & Lowe

A new edition of Borrie & Lowe: The Law of Contempt, edited by Professor Ian Cram and with a forward by Lord Justice Sedley, has been published by LexisNexis. The book, a comprehensive statement of the law… Read More »

Baby P social worker receives apologies

Sylvia Henry, who is employed by Haringey Social Services, today received apologies from the Independent, the Evening Standard and the Daily Mirror newspapers in statements in open court . The newspapers published allegations towards the… Read More »

Binyam Mohamed injunction refused

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed was on Saturday refused an injunction to restrain publication of the fact that he has been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK. The injunction was sought on… Read More »

Company awarded internet libel damages

A UK distance learning company which provides training courses in computer games development, bookkeeping, plumbing and other skills has been awarded £50,000 by the High Court, in an assessment of libel damages for a large… Read More »

5RB success at the Bar Awards 2010

The annual Bar Awards hosted by specialist legal publishers, Chambers & Partners, were held on Thursday, 30 September 2010 at the London Hilton on Park Lane. The awards of Defamation Set of the Year and… Read More »

Stig injunction refused

Mr Justice Morgan, sitting in the High Court, Chancery Division, has refused the BBC’s application for an interim injunction to restrain the publication of a book that may disclose the identity of a driver who… Read More »

Spectator apologises for IslamExpo libel

The Spectator and Jewish Chronicle editor Stephen Pollard have apologised and paid damages to Islam Expo Ltd, the company that organises London’s IslamExpo exhibitions. The company had brought libel proceedings in respect of an article published… Read More »