Harassment victim wins libel damages
A Chartered Surveyor who was the victim of a series of defamatory and harassing websites has settled his libel claim against their authors. Ian Phipps has won an apology and substantial damages from Paul Britton… Read More »
Supreme Court lifts OPO injunction
The Supreme Court this morning handed down judgment in OPO v MLA, finding unanimously that the Claimant had no cause of action under the Wilkinson v Downton tort. The anonymity restrictions on the author and… Read More »
Mail loses JK Rowling appeal
Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail Online, has failed to overturn the judgment of Tugendhat J that JK Rowling could read a proposed statement in open court. Joanne Murray, better known under her JK… Read More »
Prince Charles letters released
Letters between Prince Charles and various Government departments – known as the “black spider letters” – have today been released. They can be found on the Cabinet Office website here, with a link to a… Read More »
5RB Talks: Manchester
5RB completed the third of its 2015 series of talks in Manchester on 29 April. 5RB’s Jonathan Barnes, Richard Munden and Chloe Strong spoke and the evening was moderated by Adrienne Page QC. Jonathan gave… Read More »
5RB arrival: Greg Callus
5RB are pleased to announce that Greg Callus has accepted an offer to join Chambers, having completed a third six pupillage. Greg was educated at Corpus Christi RCHS in Cardiff, the United World College of… Read More »
Mosque dispute claimants awarded £45,000 each
Judgment has been given by Mr Justice Jeremy Baker in Asghar & Mujahid v Ahmad, Ali, Bhutt and Hayat. The Claimants succeeded in proving that they had been defamed by the Fourth Defendant, Mr Hayat,… Read More »
5RB Quiz 2015
5RB hosted its 9th annual charity pub quiz last night, to raise funds for the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Free Representation Unit (FRU). Teams from many leading solicitors firms and media organisations competed over seven rounds of… Read More »
Privy Council hears libel appeal
On Wednesday 22 April 2015, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (Lords Clarke, Wilson, Sumption, Carnwath and Toulson) heard what is expected to be its last appeal from the Commonwealth of Dominica, which concerned… Read More »
Former UN official obtains harassment injunction
A retired official at the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”), a London-based arm of the UN, has won an anti-harassment injunction against a former colleague. In Rada-Ortiz v Espinosa-Vadillo, the Claimant was a supervisor at the… Read More »
Prince Charles letters to be released
The Supreme Court today handed down judgment in R (Evans) v HM Attorney General, deciding that 27 of Prince Charles’ letters to Government departments (the so-called “black spider letters”) should be released. The initial request… Read More »
Footballer refused privacy injunction
The Claimant (YXB) was a Premiership footballer. He had a sexual encounter with the Defendant (TNO), and they then exchanged sexually charged messages. He sent her sexually explicit photographs and video clips of his body…. Read More »
House of Lords on Press Regulation
On 23 March, the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications released its report: Press Regulation: where are we now? The Committee’s report discusses the history of press regulation, what has happened since the publication… Read More »
Under 18s reporting restriction changes
Among a series of provisions of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 which will come into force on April 13 2015 are provisions amending the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (CYPA 1933) and the… Read More »
‘Revenge porn’ offence commencement
A series of measures in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 will come into force on 13 April 2015. Of particular interest to media lawyers will be: – The coming into force of the… Read More »
Cruddas Appeal allowed in part
On 17 March 2015 the Court of Appeal handed down judgment in Cruddas v (1) Calvert (2) Blake (3) Times Newspapers Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 171. Mr Cruddas had brought claims in libel and malicious… Read More »
5RB Talks 2015: Cardiff
The second of 5RB’s 2015 series of talks took place on 12 March in Cardiff. 5RB’s William Bennett, Christina Michalos and David Hirst spoke. William Bennett gave an overview of the Defamation Act 2013 and… Read More »
5RB at the Big Voice London Moots
5RB’s Godwin Busuttil and Felicity McMahon were amongst the judges for the second round of the Big Voice London Mooting Competition 2015. Teams consisted of one BPTC student and one sixth-form student, and each student… Read More »
Privacy injunction statistics published
The Ministry of Justice has released its quarterly civil justice statistics report, which amongst other matters records the number of privacy injunctions applied for, awarded or continued over the period. The bulletin records that one… Read More »
Supreme Court: police retention of data lawful
The Supreme Court has allowed the appeals of two individuals who claimed that the police retention of electronic data about them on a searchable database breached their rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on… Read More »