Iain Christie appointed Secretary to the Civil Mediation Council
5RB’s Iain Christie has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Civil Mediation Council. The Civil Mediation Council is the recognised authority in the country for all matters related to civil, commercial, workplace and… Read More »
Surfer wins damages
Yachting World has apologised in open court to Mr Tristram Cokes over a false allegation that he had served time for cocaine smuggling and agreed to pay him substantial libel damages. Mr Cokes has been… Read More »
DPP unveils guidance on social media prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer has issued guidance for the CPS on when to initiate legal action against those who breach UK communications laws on social media. The guidance comes after a number… Read More »
5RB at Leeds medical law conference
5RB’s Mark Warby QC and Jacob Dean are guest speakers at a conference organised by Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA), at the Royal Armouries, Leeds, on 21 June 2013. AvMA is the charity for patient safety and… Read More »
Defamation Act receives Royal Assent
The Defamation Bill has completed all its Parliamentary stages, and having received Royal Assent has become the Defamation Act 2013. The Act requires a Statutory Instrument to bring it into force. Justice Minister Lord McNally… Read More »
CJC report on defamation costs published
The Working Group put together by the Civil Justice Council (CJC) to look into costs protection options in defamation and related proceedings published its final report yesterday. The report sets out a number of recommendations… Read More »
5RB silks at 2013 Oxford International Media Moot
For the second year, 3 QCs from 5RB were among the judges at Oxford University’s Price International Media Law Moot Court. Joint Heads of Chambers Desmond Browne QC and Mark Warby QC were joined by former… Read More »
Justin Rushbrooke and Matthew Nicklin take silk
5RB is delighted to announce that both Justin Rushbrooke and Matthew Nicklin joined the ranks of Queen’s Counsel at today’s ceremony at Westminster Hall where they have declared their readiness to serve Her Majesty and… Read More »
Reforming Civil Litigation – A report
A Bar Council working group has made a series of recommendations regarding reforms to civil litigation in the Chancery Division, Admiralty, Commercial and Technology and Construction Courts in a discussion document. The working group’s report… Read More »
Croatian Actor wins damages for “Nazi war criminal” error
A Croatian actor has accepted undisclosed libel damages after The Independent wrongly identified him as a Nazi war criminal. Ljubomir Jurkovic brought libel proceedings against the newspaper after his photograph was used to illustrate a front page story about the death of… Read More »
Blogger loses libel claim against Council
A Blogger, who runs a website called Carmarthenshire Planning Problems and More, has lost her libel claim against a Council and its Chief Executive. Jacqui Thompson had achieved some nationwide publicity when she was arrested… Read More »
PCC: no need for prominence in libel reports
The Press Complaints Commission has not upheld a complaint by Lord Ashcroft that The Independent broke clause 1 of the Code of Practice in reporting the outcome of the peer’s recent libel claim against the… Read More »
Suspended prison sentence for Madeleine McCann contempt
A judge has imposed a suspended prison sentence for deliberate breaches of an undertaking given to the court on the settlement of a libel claim by Gerry and Kate McCann. In a judgment handed down… Read More »
Banker libel case settles
The parties in Qadir v Associated Newspapers Ltd have reached a settlement. Former banker Irfan Qadir has reached a settlement with Associated Newspapers over the publication in the Mail on Sunday in 2011 of two… Read More »
Google can be liable as publisher
The Court of Appeal today handed down its long-awaited judgment in Tamiz v Google Inc. It is the first case, following a sequence of High Court decisions such as Godfrey v Demon Internet, Bunt v Tilley… Read More »
Local council and newspaper pay substantial damages
Two female taxi drivers have accepted substantial compensation in settlement of their claim for libel against Fenland District Council and Archant Regional Limited. Yesterday a statement in open court was read on behalf of the… Read More »
Peter Cruddas awarded £45k for breach of election law libel
Peter Cruddas, Executive Chairman of CMC Markets and former co-Treasurer of the Conservative Party, has today been awarded libel damages of £45,000 in the High Court against Mark Adams, the lobbyist and former Private Secretary… Read More »
Businessman awarded £7,500 for twitter campaign
A racing tipster has been awarded £7,500 damages for a large number of defamatory allegations which were tweeted to several hundred people. In October 2011 a group of owners, trainers and tipsters from Yorkshire were… Read More »
Naomi Campbell wins elephant cruelty libel claim
Naomi Campbell has settled her libel claim against the publishers of the Daily Telegraph with a joint Statement in Open Court read today before Mr Justice Eady and the payment of substantial damages and costs…. Read More »
New contractual terms
The Bar Council has abolished the default Terms of Work and Withdrawal of Credit Scheme on which barristers offered their services to solicitors, and replaced them with new contractual terms of work. From 31 January… Read More »