Privacy – Malicious falsehood – Trespass – Whether cause of action available to the plaintiff – Photographs – Injunctions
The plaintiff was a well known actor recovering in hospital from a serious injury. Two journalists gained access to his private room, took photographs and conducted an interview. They threatened to publish the interview, and P sought an injunction.
Whether P had a cause of action which would enable the Court to grant an injunction
Any article which conveyed the meaning that the plaintiff had given informed consent to the interview would amount to malicious falsehood. There was no actionable right of privacy in English law.
The statement of the Court of Appeal that there was no common law protection of privacy stultified the development of privacy law for many years. The position changed following the incorporation of the Human Rights Act but the House of Lords recently re-affirmed that there was no general law of privacy under the common law in Wainwright v Home Office.