The Supreme Court today dismissed the Claimant’s appeal in the long running privacy case PNM v Times Newspapers and Newsquest.
PNM, who can now be named as Oxford businessman Tariq Khuja, obtained a postponement order in 2012 under s.4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 preventing his identity being disclosed in reports of a criminal case. He was not a defendant nor a witness at the trial, but was named during the trial as a possible perpetrator of sex crimes. He had previously been arrested in connection with those allegations.
In October 2013, after police announced that Mr Khuja would not be charged in connection with the offences and the postponement order was revoked, he sought an injunction in the High Court preventing publication of the fact of his arrest and of references to him in the criminal trial. He asserted that such reports would infringe his privacy rights and those of his family. He has always maintained his innocence.
Tugendhat J rejected his application, and the Court of Appeal in 2014 dismissed his appeal.
On 19 July 2017 the Supreme Court rejected his appeal by a 5-2 majority.
Adam Wolanski of 5RB acted as sole counsel for the Respondents in the Crown Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, and as junior counsel in the Supreme Court.
A 5RB case report of the Supreme Court’s judgment can be found here.
