Chambers Bar Awards 2014
5RB is pleased to announce that Adam Speker has been named Defamation & Privacy Junior Barrister of the Year at the annual Chambers & Partners Bar Awards held on 2 October 2014. Adam was called to the Bar… Read More »
Slander Action Settles
In a statement in open court read today, David Harvey, the former Chairman of the Rowlands Castle Parish Council apologised for comments he made about Alan Craggs, the former Chairman of the Rowlands Parish Hall… Read More »
Lord Neuberger gives Conference5RB speech
Lord Neuberger PSC was the Keynote speaker at 2014’s Conference5RB at King’s Place on Tuesday 30 September. He gave a speech entitled ““What’s in a name?” – Privacy and anonymous speech on the Internet”. The… Read More »
Permission to appeal on Defamation Act 2013
Permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal was granted at a hearing today before Bean J in Cooke v MGN [2014] EWHC 2831 (QB). In his written judgment, handed down in August, Bean J… Read More »
IPSO launches
The newspaper industry regulator the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has been replaced by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). IPSO’s temporary website went live on Monday 8 September. IPSO says it has been established “to promote… Read More »
FT appoints independent Complaints Commissioner
The Financial Times (FT) has appointed Greg Callus as its editorial Complaints Commissioner. Following the announcement of the closure of the Press Complaints Commission, the FT has chosen to regulate itself, and decided not to… Read More »
ICO publishes data protection guide for the media
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has today published Data Protection and Journalism: A Guide for the Media. The publication of the guide follows a consultation on draft guidance which took place earlier this year. The guide has… Read More »
Privacy Cases Double Over Four Years
According to figures released by Thomson Reuters, the number of reported cases per year in which a privacy argument was used has doubled since 2009-10. The new statistics show that there were 56 reported cases… Read More »
Defamation Act 2013 – First Cases
The High Court has heard and delivered judgments in the first cases brought under the Defamation Act 2013. In Cooke v MGN [2014] EWHC 2831 (QB), Bean J was asked to decide meaning and serious… Read More »
Conference5RB 2014 update
We want to keep you up-to-date with the latest plans for Conference5RB 2014. In addition to our keynote speaker Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, President of the Supreme Court 5RB is pleased to announce additional guest participants. Richard… Read More »
Chambers Bar Awards 2014
5RB is pleased to announce that we have once again been shortlisted for Defamation/Privacy Set of the Year based on research conducted for the next edition of Chambers UK. In addition, Adam Speker has been nominated… Read More »
Mosque libel trial adjourned part-heard
A libel trial which arose from a dispute over the control of the Jamia and Al Noor mosques in Newport, South Wales, has been adjourned on its sixth day because the Fourth Defendant was too ill to continue…. Read More »
Lords: Current laws sufficient for social media offences
The House of Lords Communication Committee, in its report on social media offences, has come to the conclusion that current laws are sufficient. Laws such as the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Communications… Read More »
Witness Immunity Rule Extends to Harassment
The Court of Appeal has today ruled that an individual who makes a complaint to the police cannot be sued for malicious procurement of arrest or false imprisonment or rely upon the complaint to the… Read More »
Garcia v ANL trial begins in the High Court
The trial of the case of Garcia v Associated Newspapers Ltd began today in the High Court before Mr Justice Dingemans. The libel claim relates to an article published in the Daily Mail on 21… Read More »
5RB Arrival
5RB are pleased to announce that current pupil, Julian Santos, has accepted an offer of to join Chambers, commencing in October 2014 on completion of his pupillage. Before undertaking pupillage at 5RB, Julian practised as… Read More »
Lords inquiry into social media offences
The House of Lords Communications Committee is conducting an inquiry into social media and communications offences. The inquiry will look into whether the legislation currently dealing with such offences (which includes the Offences Against the… Read More »
Attorney General to withdraw contempt archives plans
The Attorney General has announced, via written statement to Parliament, that the Government plans to withdraw clauses 51 and 52 from the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. The clauses, if they became law, would have… Read More »
Police Sergeant awarded £60,000 libel damages
Michael Appleyard, a Police Sergeant based in a small town in West Yorkshire, has won his libel claim against Neil Wilby in relation to words published on Mr Wilby’s website and tweets sent by him…. Read More »
What does “damage” mean under the DPA?
On 11 June 2014, Wikeley J dismissed the Information Commissioner’s appeal (IC v Niebel [2014] UKUT 0255 (AAC)) against the First-Tier Tribunal’s decision to allow Mr Niebel’s appeal against a monetary penalty notice (MPN) of… Read More »