Tom Blackburn SC

Tom Blackburn is a media law and communications silk who practises in both Australia, where he took silk in 2003, and England and Wales.

He is spotlighted in Media and Communications law, Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific 2026, as “a highly regarded media and communications law silk with noted expertise in defamation and privacy in both Australia and the UK”. In the UK he is ranked as a leading silk in defamation and privacy law in the United Kingdom 2026 editions of The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

His practice in Australia includes breach of confidence and privacy, defamation, contempt, anti-discrimination, commercial disputes and disputes under the Broadcasting Act and administrative/public law. His experience in proceedings for interim relief is extensive. While principally practising from Banco Chambers, Sydney, he continues as an associate member of 5RB and accepts instructions in matters involving English media law.

Recently he appeared in the Federal Court of Australia for prominent media lawyer Peter Bartlett in the defamation appeal brought by Ben Roberts-Smith VC. The relief sought against Mr Bartlett by Roberts-Smith was defeated. He also recently appeared for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, the editors of both newspapers, journalists and in-house lawyers when contempt proceedings brought against them in Antoinette Lattouf v ABC. The contempt proceedings against them were all dismissed.

He is currently appearing for ARN Ltd, the owner of radio station KIIS-FM, in the $200 million actions brought against it in the Federal Court of Australia by radio hosts Kyle Sandilands and “Jackie-O” Henderson.