Editors warn MPs of threats to press
During the past two weeks, various newspapers editors have given evidence on the threat to press freedom from libel and privacy claims to the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Today Colin Myler, editor of… Read More »
Journalists give evidence to MPs
The Press Complaints Commission is in urgent need of reform, Roy Greenslade, a writer on media matters for the Guardian and Professor of Journalism at City University, and Nick Davies, investigative journalist and Flat Earth News… Read More »
EC challenge over internet privacy
The European Commission is to investigate the UK government’s failure to prevent the use of technology which allows ISPs to track internet use without consent. The proposed action follows the test use of "Phorm technology" by BT… Read More »
New rules for family courts access
The Government has today laid before Parliament new rules allowing for access to family court proceedings by media representatives. Under the rules, which will come into force on 27th April 2009, only accredited representatives of the media… Read More »
George wins 75K libel damages
Mohammed George, an actor who appeared in the soap opera Eastenders, has today won his libel claim against The Sun. Mohammed George, a regular in the BBC programme for 5 years, sued the newspaper over allegations that… Read More »
Elton John refused leave to appeal
Sir Elton John has confirmed that he will not challenge the Court of Appeal’s refusal to hear his appeal in a libel claim brought in relation to a spoof diary item published in The… Read More »
Eastenders actor’s libel trial begins
The trial of a claim brought by an actor who appeared in the soap opera Eastenders against The Sun began in the High Court today. Mohammed George, a regular in the BBC programme for 5… Read More »
PCC Chair gives evidence to MPs
Sir Christopher Meyer, the outgoing chair of the Press Complaints Commission has accused media law firms of using a 10 March Commons select committee hearing on press standards to launch an offensive against his organisation…. Read More »
Liverpool libel trial collapses
A Liverpool businessman last week withdrew his libel claim against a former colleague in the West Wirral Conservative Association shortly after the conclusion of his cross-examination. Bahram Noorani had sued Richard Calver over a letter… Read More »
Guardian fails to overturn injunction
Barclays Bank today won a continuation of a court order preventing the Guardian from republishing confidential documents relating to a tax avoidance plan. The bank forced the newspaper to remove several internal memos from… Read More »
Mosley and McCann give evidence to Select Committee
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… Read More »
Strasbourg rejects single publication
The European Court of Human Rights has unanimously held that the application of the "internet publication" rule, as opposed to the US single publication doctrine, does not violate Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights…. Read More »
New proposals on defamation costs
The Government has launched a consultation paper on proposals to curb legal costs in defamation actions. Acknowledging media organisations’ concerns that litigation costs in defamation actions were having an effect on freedom of expression and… Read More »
PCC Chairman responds to critics
Sir Christopher Meyer, the chairman of the Press Complaints Commision has called into question the validity of the recent Media Standards Trust report which heavily criticised the PCC. In a letter to MST board member Anthony… Read More »
CFAs ‘incompatible’ with ECHR: Report
A study commissioned by Associated Newspapers has concluded that Conditional Fee Agreements are incompatible with Articles 6 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The study compared costs in defamation cases in English procedings… Read More »
PCC probes ‘baby-faced father’ story
The Press Complaints Commission is investigating allegations that two newspapers made payments to the parents of the 13-year-old father of a baby girl born last week. The birth of the child to Alfie Patten and… Read More »
Self-regulation ‘failing the public’
A review by The Media Standards Trust (MST) has concluded that the current system of press self-regulation is "incapable of dealing with the serious and growing threats to press standards and press freedom." The MST report,… Read More »
Lords voice privacy concerns
The House of Lords has today published a report critical of the expansion of ‘surveillance society’ and warning that the right to privacy is being undermined by pervasive and routine electronic surveillance and collection of… Read More »
5RB Charity Quiz 2009
5RB hosted its annual charity pub quiz yesterday evening, to raise funds for the Bar Pro Bono Unit and the Free Representation Unit (FRU). Teams from leading media organisations and solicitors firms entered the competition to win the first… Read More »
Claimant wins abortion libel case
The nine day retrial of the libel action brought by a former spokesman for the head of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales against Associated Newspapers over an article in the Daily Mail has resulted in a £30,000 damages award…. Read More »