Summary judgment for ex-MP
Nigel Waterson, who was shadow Minister for Pensions in the last Parliament has obtained summary judgment in his defamation action based on the leaflets distributed by his successor at the 2010 General Election. During the… Read More »
Leveson Victims’ submissions
The Leveson Inquiry heard the first submissions on behalf of the victims of phone hacking on Wednesday, many of whom have brought civil claims against the publisher of the now defunct News of the World…. Read More »
Leveson Inquiry Starts
Part 1 of Lord Justice Leveson’s judicial inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press commenced on Monday 7 November with opening submissions expected to take up the first week of the hearing…. Read More »
5RB tops Chambers and Partners 2012
Chambers & Partners have listed 5RB as the only set in Band 1 for defamation and privacy in their annual review of the bar. Many individual members have also been top ranked in the directory… Read More »
Radio Four’s Unreliable Evidence on trial by media
This evening’s edition of Unreliable Evidence on Radio Four presented by Clive Anderson will examine trial by media and contempt of court. The panellists for the discussion included 5RB’s Desmond Browne QC, the Attorney General,… Read More »
Liability for hyperlinks
The Supreme Court of Canada has decided that mere hyperlinking to defamatory matter is an insufficient basis on which to impose liability for defamation, even if the publisher of the hyperlinks is aware of the… Read More »
Sunday Times settles Baturina libel claim
A Statement In Open Court read today before Mr Justice Eady brought to an end the long-running libel claim brought by Russian businesswoman Elena Baturina against Times Newspapers Ltd. The Sunday Times claimed in articles… Read More »
Bill Joint Committee urges bolder reform
The Joint Committee Report on the Government’s draft Defamation Bill has urged further reform, targeting the issue of high costs in defamation cases. The Joint Committee’s report welcomed many of the reforms which had made… Read More »
Supreme Court hears Times’ Flood Appeal
The Supreme Court is hearing The Times’ appeal in Flood v Times Newspapers Ltd on the 17 and 18 October 2011. Last July the Court of Appeal overturned the finding made by Mr Justice Tugendhat… Read More »
Report on Draft Defamation Bill
The Joint Select Committee on the Draft Defamation Bill has announced that it will publish its report on Wednesday 19 October 2011. The Joint Committee is a committee of both Houses of Parliament appointed to… Read More »
Desmond Browne QC addresses the Leveson Inquiry
Desmond Browne QC addressed the Leveson Inquiry on Wednesday 12th October 2011. His paper, Supporting a free press and high standards – approaches to Regulation, is available on the 5RB website. Mr Browne began with the premise… Read More »
5RB Announces new Joint Head of Chambers
Desmond Browne QC, Joint Head of Chambers and former Bar Council Chair, has announced that Adrienne Page QC has decided to step down as Joint Head of Chambers after eight years’ service. Adrienne, who is… Read More »
Landmark media win in footballer privacy trial
Nicol J in the High Court has today held that the Sunday Mirror was justified in publishing a ‘kiss and tell’ about the England footballer, Rio Ferdinand. Following a three-day trial in July in which… Read More »
Leveson Inquiry: 2nd Teaching Session held
On Wednesday 28 September 2011 members of the Leveson Inquiry Panel heard from 5RB’s Mark Warby QC on the existing legal framework governing the operation of the media, including the relationship between Articles 8 and… Read More »
Mosley refused ECHR Grand Chamber
Max Mosley’s request for referral to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has been refused. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has refused to accept the request… Read More »
‘Truly experts’
Legal 500, the the legal sector directory has again praised 5RB for across-the-board strength. 5RB was placed in the first tier for privacy and defamation and as a tier 2 set for other media, entertainment… Read More »
Changes to Defamation Costs Management Scheme
A number of amendments to Practice Direction 51D, the Defamation Proceedings Costs Management Scheme, will take effect on 1st October 2011. The changes of note to practitioners are: Paragraph 1.1(1) – extension of the pilot… Read More »
Iain Christie returns to practice
Iain Christie returns to 5RB today after taking a sabbatical to train as an actor at Drama Studio London. Iain intends to combine his practice at the bar with some professional acting work. Iain practices… Read More »
Family Courts: Media Access & Reporting
A practical statement on the law relating to reporting cases in the family courts has been published jointly by judges, lawyers and journalists. A group convened under the Lord Chief Justice which included interested parties… Read More »
Saudi businessman awarded £175,000 libel damages
In a reserved judgment, HHJ Parkes QC sitting in the High Court has awarded Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi £175,000 damages for libel against Mr Elias Kifle, the publisher and editor in chief of an online… Read More »