Mosley and McCann give evidence to Select Committee

March 10, 2009

MPs hear evidence on libel and privacy laws and the effect of the media

President of the FIA, Max Mosley, and Gerry McCann, the father of missing girl Madeleine, today gave evidence to the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee as part of its wide-ranging investigation into press standards.

Mr Mosley spoke of the impact upon his personal life and the blow to his sense of dignity caused by the News of The World’s publication of articles accusing him of partaking in a ‘Nazi orgy’ as well as a video which showed intimate scenes of  him partaking in S&M activity with 5 dominatrices.

The motorsport chairman won £60,000 in compensation from News Group Newspapers last July after Mr Justice Eady said Mr Mosley had a "reasonable expectation of privacy in relation to sexual activities" and said there was no evidence of Nazi re-enactment.

Mr Mosley is now challenging the state of UK privacy laws in the European Court of Human Rights.

Gerry McCann whose daughter Madeleine disappeared on holiday in Portugal in 2007 gave evidence to the select committee on Tuesday afternoon. He and his wife Kate accepted a £550,000 libel payout from Express Newspapers last April for a series of more than 100 seriously defamatory articles which the McCanns claimed suggested they were responsible for the death of their daughter. The McCanns’ advisor, Clarence Mitchell, and Adam Tudor from their solicitors Carter Ruck, also gave evidence.

Two weeks ago, the Committee heard evidence from Marcus Partington of MGN Limited and a number of leading solicitors who act for claimants and defendants in defamation and privacy claims.

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