Father wins family report ban case
The Court of Appeal today overturned an injunction preventing a father from publicly identifying his child as the subject of a custody battle. In a significant decision, the Court ruled that section 97 of… Read More »
Jameel reaches the Lords
The House of Lords will today hear argument in the appeal by the Wall Street Journal Europe in the case of Jameel & Anor v Wall Street Journal Europe Sprl. The grounds of appeal for… Read More »
Sir Elton fails in injunction bid
Sir Elton John this evening failed in an attempt to restrain publication of photos of him taken by a freelance photographer in the street outside his West London home. At a 2-hour hearing in… Read More »
Dentist loses libel & harassment case
A dentist has lost a claim for libel and harassment brought against her former employer, Newcastle Primary Health Care Trust, and 12 employees of the Trust. Denise Merelie contended that she was libelled in a… Read More »
Armstrong wins latest Times battle
World Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong has won the latest round of his battle with The Sunday Times over allegations that he had used performance enhancing drugs in his cycling career. The Court of Appeal today… Read More »
Former driving examiner wins £30,000
A former driving examiner has won £30,000 in libel damages over claims that he had deliberately failed driving test candidates and had distorted the Driving Standards Agency’s percentage pass rates at the Ashford Driving Test Centre where he used… Read More »
R1 rapped again over bad language
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has found BBC Radio 1 in breach of its Broadcasting Code after a series of on-air incidents involving offensive language on the Chris Moyles breakfast show earlier this year. Three separate incidents in January… Read More »
Adidas can use logo at Wimbledon
Adidas has succeeded in its application for an interim injunction against the organisers of the four Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments and will be allowed to use its 3-stripe design on players’ clothing at Wimbledon. The Grand Slam Committee… Read More »
Watchdog orders ID card report release
The freedom of information watchdog has ordered the Government to publish secret reports containing its assessment of the benefits and risks of identity cards. The Department of Work and Pensions had prepared the reports on how the cards could… Read More »
ECJ rules on airline data case
The European Court of Justice has ruled that an agreement struck two years ago between the European Commission and the United States which enables US authorities to obtain and process personal data of US-bound European airline passengers… Read More »
Boris Berezovsky wins £50,000
A High Court jury in London today awarded Russian tycoon and political campaigner, Boris Berezovsky £50,000 in libel damages for a false claim that he habitually threatened people. The Defendants, Mikhail Fridman and his… Read More »
£100,000 damages for Sir Elton John
In a statement in open court read today Associated Newspapers apologised to Sir Elton John, having paid him £100,000 in damages. Sir Elton John today accepted £100,000 libel damages, and payment of his legal costs,… Read More »
FIFA climbdown on doping regulations
FIFA’s President has agreed that football will bring its rules on doping into line with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, has indicated that the rule changes would be… Read More »
Judge calls for libel and privacy reform
A senior Court of Appeal judge yesterday called for a tough new independent regulator for newspapers and claimed that the law of libel “over-protects personal reputation at the expense of free speech”. Giving a lecture at Oxford University, Lord Justice Sedley was critical… Read More »
Afghan Hijackers name ban lifted
The High Court today overturned an order preventing the press from identifying nine Afghans who hijacked an airliner in Afghanistan and held its occupants at gunpoint for four days at Stansted Airport in 2000. Following a… Read More »
BNP candidates lose libel claim
Two British National Party general election candidates have today lost their libel action over an article published in anti-fascist magazine Searchlight. Eady J held that the article was privileged under the doctrine of reportage established… Read More »
Call for jail terms for data thieves
The Information Commissioner today called for prison sentences of up to two years for the illegal buying and selling of personal information. In a report to Parliament entitled “What Price Privacy?” he states his “deep concern… Read More »
Beatles iTunes challenge fails
The surviving Beatles and the estates of George Harrison and John Lennon have lost the latest installment of the dispute over Apple Computer’s use of a logo depicting an apple. The Beatles, who established their… Read More »
Trainer’s bid to overturn race result fails
Judge hands down second judgment – this time having reviewed the decisions of the domestic bodies in private law proceedings. The trainer Willie Mullins sought to challenge a 2004 decision by the Appeal Board of the Jockey Club,… Read More »
The Lawyer apologises for judgment leak
The Lawyer magazine will print a front page apology for breaking an embargo on the judgment in the recent Da Vinci Code copyright case. The magazine published the result of the case one hour before Peter… Read More »