Iain Christie returns to practice
Iain Christie returns to 5RB today after taking a sabbatical to train as an actor at Drama Studio London. Iain intends to combine his practice at the bar with some professional acting work. Iain practices… Read More »
Saudi businessman awarded £175,000 libel damages
In a reserved judgment, HHJ Parkes QC sitting in the High Court has awarded Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi £175,000 damages for libel against Mr Elias Kifle, the publisher and editor in chief of an online… Read More »
Family Courts: Media Access & Reporting
A practical statement on the law relating to reporting cases in the family courts has been published jointly by judges, lawyers and journalists. A group convened under the Lord Chief Justice which included interested parties… Read More »
Thornton wins historic libel and malicious falsehood trial
In a reserved judgment handed down today, Mr Justice Tugendhat has awarded author Sarah Thornton a total of £65,000 damages for libel and malicious falsehood against the publishers of the Daily Telegraph. This is believed… Read More »
Privacy law: the tweet
As promised last month, and only a few weeks late, Mark Warby QC follows up his privacy law blog with a summary of the law of England and Wales on restraining the publication of private… Read More »
Key Rio Ferdinand privacy decision expected October
The trial of Rio Ferdinand’s privacy claim against the Sunday Mirror took place on 4 – 6 July 2011. The England and Manchester United footballer brought a claim against MGN Limited over an article published… Read More »
Rio Ferdinand privacy trial begins
The trial of Rio Ferdinand’s privacy claim against the Sunday Mirror commenced 4 July 2011. The England and Manchester United footballer has brought a claim against MGN Limited over an article published in April 2010… Read More »
Defamation Bill Committee update
The Joint Defamation Bill Committee has heard oral evidence on the draft Defamation Bill from senior libel lawyers, including 5RB’s joint Heads of Chambers Desmond Browne QC and Adrienne Page QC. The full session, which… Read More »
Privacy law in 10 minutes: the blog
For those with too many superinjunctions and not enough time, or with relatives who wonder how twitter can cause a constitutional crisis or what King Canute has to do with the price of fish, Mark… Read More »
Launch of Early Resolution CIC
A new arbitration service has been launched aimed at providing cheaper, earlier resolution of fundamental disputes in defamation actions. The launch is taking place on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, of Early Resolution, the initiative of… Read More »
Sir Charles Gray to Adjudicate Phone Hacking
News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun and The News of the World has appointed former High Court Judge, Sir Charles Gray, to oversee the settlements for victims of phone hacking who sign up… Read More »
BBC finds sweatshop film ‘probably’ faked
The BBC Trust has upheld an editorial complaint against Panorama brought by Primark in relation to a dispute about faked footage. On 23rd June 2008, an hour long Panorama special entitled “Primark: On the Rack”… Read More »
First social media contempt case
A forty year old mother of three became the first person to be prosecuted for contempt of court by making use of the internet during a trial. In 2010 Joanna Fraill, sitting on a jury… Read More »
The Sun apologises to ‘Baby P’ social worker
The Sun has today apologised to Sylvia Henry, a Haringey social worker wrongly targeted by The Sun in its “Justice for Baby P campaign”. In November 2006, following the convictions of Baby P’s mother, Tracey… Read More »
Ramsay father-in-law fails in Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of Eady J from 1 December 2010 decline to grant an injunction to Christopher Hutcheson, the father-in-law of Gordon Ramsay, to restrain publication of the fact that he… Read More »
Phone hacking test cases chosen
Mr Justice Vos today chose five of the phone hacking claims against News Group Newspapers and Glen Mulcaire to be the lead cases that will go forward to trial, including the claims brought by Jude… Read More »
Committee reports on super-injunctions
The Committee on Super-Injunctions, chaired by the Master of the Rolls, Lord Neuberger, has today published its Report on injunctions in privacy claims. Key findings and recommendations include: The justifiable concern about the ready granting… Read More »
ECHR rejects Mosley privacy application
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected Max Mosley’s application for a ruling that Article 8 required the introduction into domestic law of a legally binding requirement that the media notify a subject when… Read More »
Leading Arabic newspaper wins libel damages
The London publisher of the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al Awsat and two of its senior editorial staff were awarded libel damages on Wednesday totalling £85,000 against the editor of a website which falsely accused them… Read More »
Council refused Supreme Court permission
The Supreme Court has refused Slough Borough Council’s application for permission to appeal in the claim brought against it by Jane Clift, which concerned the interaction of the defence of qualified privilege with Article 8… Read More »