Year: 2009

BHA declare Hayley Turner fit to ride

The Medical Review Panel of the British Horseracing Authority yesterday declared Hayley Turner, the well-known female jockey, fit to ride. Ms Turner’s licence application had been turned down on health grounds arising out of a… Read More »

News Of The World in phone tap claims

The Guardian newspaper claims that journalists at the News of the World have used private investigators to listen into the calls of many high profile public figures in pursuit of their stories.  Those alleged to… Read More »

Richard Desmond libel trial stopped

The trial of the libel action brought by Express Newspapers owner Richard Desmond against writer Tom Bower over a paragraph of his biography of Conrad Black was stopped today by Mr Justice Eady on its second day, after the Judge… Read More »

Victory for woman labelled ‘violent’

A woman labelled “potentially violent” after complaining to a council about a vandalised flowerbed has been awarded £12,000 in libel damages by a jury in the High Court today. Jane Clift brought defamation proceedings against Slough… Read More »

The Times free to identify blog author

Mr Justice Eady today gave his written reasons for declining to grant a pseudonymous blogger an injunction preventing the Times from publishing his identity. The blogger, a serving police officer who recently won the Orwell… Read More »

IVF doctor libel case settles

Mohammed Taranissi, a doctor specialising in fertility treatment, has settled his libel claim against the BBC. Mr Taranissi brought  the claim in respect of allegations contained in a Panorama programme broadcast in January 2007. The BBC initially… Read More »

Select Committee hears final evidence

In its last evidence session for its inquiry into press standards, privacy and libel, the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee heard from Charmian Gooch of Global Witness, solicitor Mark Stephens and… Read More »

EMLRs move to 5RB

The leading specialist media law reports, the Entertainment and Media Law Reports, published by Sweet & Maxwell, have new Editors in the shape of Richard Parkes QC and Godwin Busuttil. Sweet & Maxwell announced the appointment as… Read More »

Abortion Statistics Tribunal Begins

The hearing of the Department of Health’s appeal under the Freedom of Information Act against the Information Commissioner’s decision that the Department release more detailed abortion statistics for 2003 began today in the Information Tribunal…. Read More »

5th London Legal Sponsored Walk

A team of members of 5RB and our friends took part in the 5th London Legal Sponsored Walk on 18 May 2009, raising over £5,000 for the cause of providing free legal advice services for the… Read More »

Jack Straw critical of high costs

Jack Straw yesterday gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport select committee yesterday as part of its inquiry into press standards, privacy and libel.  He told the committee that libel litigation costs for defendant newspapers were "ridiculous"… Read More »

Alfie’s not the dad: injunction lifted

Schoolboy Alfie Patten, who made headlines earlier this year when he was reported to have got his girlfriend pregnant aged just 12, is not the baby’s father after all. In February this year a media furore… Read More »

Injunction application hit for six

Shamley Green Cricket Club is free to continue playing cricket on its village green pitch after HHJ Reid QC, sitting in the Guildford County Court, dismissed an application for an injunction on Friday. The applicant, Mr… Read More »

Times convicted of contempt of court

The publishers of The Times and the foreman of a jury who revealed to the newspaper how he disagreed with the verdict reached in a manslaughter case were both found guilty of contempt of court yesterday.  Michael Seckerson… Read More »

Review of Civil Costs published

Lord Justice Jackson has today published his preliminary report as part of his review of the costs of civil litigation. Chapter 37 of the Report addresses costs in all types of ‘publication proceedings’ (actions for… Read More »

TV lie detector tester wins apology

A legal battle between two TV chat show lie detector testers came to a close after one of them agreed to apologise, pay substantial damages and costs for having falsely suggested that the other had… Read More »

Editors warn MPs of threats to press

During the past two weeks, various newspapers editors have given evidence on the threat to press freedom from libel and privacy claims to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Today Colin Myler, editor of… Read More »

Journalists give evidence to MPs

The Press Complaints Commission is in urgent need of reform, Roy Greenslade, a writer on media matters for the Guardian and Professor of Journalism at City University, and Nick Davies, investigative journalist and Flat Earth News… Read More »

EC challenge over internet privacy

The European Commission is to investigate the UK government’s failure to prevent the use of technology which allows ISPs to track internet use without consent. The proposed action follows the test use of "Phorm technology" by BT… Read More »

New rules for family courts access

The Government has today laid before Parliament new rules allowing for access to family court proceedings by media representatives. Under the rules, which will come into force on 27th April 2009, only accredited representatives of the media… Read More »