Contacting 5RB during the Covid-19 lockdown
Although 5RB‘s premises are closed during the lockdown, chambers continues in full operation remotely. Please assist us by sending documents and instructions electronically. If hard copies are required, please liaise with the clerking team to… Read More »
Court rules in favour of Duchess
Court rules that the Duchess of Sussex can protect the confidentiality of her five friends’ names in her case against Associated Newspapers for misuse of private information and breach of copyright and data protection. Yesterday,… Read More »
Sir Mark Warby appointed Lord Justice of Appeal
Sir Mark was a member of 5RB for 32 years and joint Head of Chambers prior to appointment as High Court Judge in the Queen’s Bench Division in 2014. He has been Judge in Charge… Read More »
Lord Sheikh receives apology in open court from Associated Newspapers
Associated Newspapers Ltd has apologised to Lord Sheikh in a Statement in Open Court read before Mr Justice Warby on 30 July 2020. Lord Sheikh had brought libel proceedings in respect of a 15 August… Read More »
5RB talks – media and communications law lockdown update
Adam Speker QC moderated the discussion with Felicity McMahon and Ben Gallop as they explored some of the most important recent decisions: Serafin v Malkiewicz & Ors [2020] UKSC 23 Sube v (1) NGN (2) Express Newspapers [2020] EWHC… Read More »
Statements in Open Court for Labour Party whistleblowers and John Ware
Seven former Labour Party employees and Mr John Ware have reached agreement with the Labour Party prior to the issue of libel claims against the Labour Party. The prospective actions have concluded with the payment… Read More »
Court determines meaning of defamatory statements in libel case against Jeremy Corbyn
This morning Mr Justice Saini handed down judgment in a hearing sought by the Defendant, The Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, as to the meaning of statements he made on the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme… Read More »
Trial of Johnny Depp’s libel action against The Sun begins
The High Court trial of actor Johnny Depp’s libel claim against the publishers of The Sun, News Group Newspapers, and the newspaper’s Executive Editor, Dan Wootton, starts today. The trial is being held before Nicol… Read More »
5RB Annual Quiz 2020
5RB hosted its 13th annual charity quiz last night, virtually, to raise funds for Advocate and the Free Representation Unit (FRU). Teams from many leading solicitors firms and media organisations competed over five rounds of questions, with the quiz… Read More »
Apology given by blogger to local councillor in privacy claim
A councillor has received a public apology from a local politics blogger in settlement of her claim against him over disclosures of her medical information on his website. Maxine Fothergill, who is currently a councillor… Read More »
Tinkler v Ferguson: court strikes out malicious falsehood claim
The High Court has struck out a malicious falsehood action brought by a former executive director of Stobart Group Limited (“Stobart”) over the publication of an announcement by the company on the London Stock Exchange’s… Read More »
Supreme Court dismisses appeal in Serafin
The Supreme Court handed down judgment this morning (3 June 2020) in the Defendants’ appeal against the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Serafin v Malkiewicz and others. The Supreme Court upheld the ruling… Read More »
Damages and injunction awarded in Facebook privacy claim
A privacy claim over a Facebook post disclosing information relating to the claimant’s mental health problems, published as part of an acrimonious family dispute, has seen the claimant win damages and an injunction at trial…. Read More »
Important Court of Appeal judgment on suspects’ privacy rights: ZXC v Bloomberg
In a judgment handed down on 15 May 2020, the Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of Mr Justice Nicklin that an article about a fraud, bribery and corruption investigation into the Claimant at… Read More »
Aled Maclean-Jones to join HM Treasury
5RB congratulates Aled Maclean-Jones on his appointment as Special Adviser to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Aled Maclean-Jones said: “I want to thank 5RB for all it’s done for me. It’s been a wonderful… Read More »
Apology given to the The Register by Aria Taheri, founder and CEO of Aria Technology Ltd
Mr Taheri and his companies, Aria Technology Ltd (which trades as “Aria PC”) and Velo Systems Ltd (operator of the Aria PC website at www.aria.co.uk), have today apologised for the defamatory statements and cartoons that… Read More »
Major new decision dismissing claim of media harassment
The High Court has held that it is necessary for claimants to show a conscious or negligent abuse by the media of their rights to freedom of expression in order to succeed in a claim… Read More »
Judgment handed down in Duchess of Sussex’s case against Mail on Sunday
Earlier today judgment was handed down by the High Court in a pre-trial application by Associated Newspapers Ltd, publisher of the Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, in an action against it brought by the Duchess… Read More »
Court determines meaning in Rachel Riley v Laura Murray libel case
This morning Nicklin J handed down judgment in a hearing sought by the Defendant, Laura Murray, as to the meaning of a tweet sued on in libel by the television presenter Rachel Riley. The tweet… Read More »
5RB talks – the Supreme Court decision in the Morrisons data breach case
When Lady Hale brought the Supreme Court hearing to an end in November of last year 2019, she commented that the Morrisons case was of particular fascination to the Court. In this 5RB talk Jonathan… Read More »