That’s Entertainment? The Anonymity of Arrestees and the Law – Doughty Street

‘Last week, The Mirror reported that John Leslie was being questioned by police in connection with an alleged sexual assault. The report contained photographs of the police with evidence bags outside Leslie’s house. The Mirror reminded its readers of allegations made against the former TV presenter in 2002 and 2008. This the most recent example of media reports concerning allegations of sexual offences involving public figures.’

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Doughty Street, 2nd December 2015

Source: www.doughtystreet.co.uk

Serbian Forum Shopper in Breach of his Duty of Full and Frank Disclosure has his Privacy and Libel Action Struck Out – RPC Data and Privacy Law

‘On 23 November 2015 Sir Michael Tugendhat set aside an order for service out of the jurisdiction of proceedings for the misuse of private information and libel which had been made by Master Roberts on 31 March 2015 in respect of an article in Politika, a Serbian language newspaper circulating in Serbia and neighbouring countries in hard copy and available in this country only on the internet. Sir Michael held that the Claimant was in breach of his duty of full and frank disclosure and the case is a significant reminder of the duty of candour that rests upon a claimant when seeking permission to serve outside the jurisdiction under CPR 6.36 and of the perils of over-enthusiastic attempts to squeeze foreign claims into this jurisdiction. The case is also important on the question of how section 9(2) Defamation Act 2013 requiring evidence that England and Wales is “clearly the most appropriate place in which to bring an action in respect of the statement” is to be interpreted and the burden it places on a Claimant which the judge decided had not been discharged in this case.’

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RPC Data and Privacy Law, 7th December 2015

Source: www.rpc.co.uk

One Direction star wins round in Daily Star libel case – The Guardian

Posted December 7th, 2015 in defamation, drug abuse, media, news by sally

‘One Direction’s Niall Horan has won a round in his libel case over articles he claims imply he used drugs during an evening with fellow musicians Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson.’

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The Guardian, 7th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Former MP Tim Yeo loses Sunday Times cash claim libel bid – BBC News

Posted November 26th, 2015 in codes of practice, defamation, media, news, parliament by sally

‘Former Conservative MP Tim Yeo has lost his libel case against The Sunday Times over a “cash for advocacy” claim.’

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BBC News, 25th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Deposits, dog hairs, doors and defamation – Nearly Legal

Posted November 23rd, 2015 in animals, appeals, defamation, deposits, housing, landlord & tenant, news, privilege by sally

‘As if tenancy deposits weren’t complicated enough, now we can add libel claims to the consequences of a heated deposit dispute. It turns out that sending potentially libellous accusations to the deposit scheme adjudication service is possibly covered by qualified privilege.’

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Nearly Legal, 21st November 2015

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Suing Facebook is no easy matter – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 10th, 2015 in appeals, defamation, EC law, human rights, internet, news, privacy by sally

‘An action in defamation and under the right to privacy against Facebook has been dismissed in the High Court. The Facebook entity named as defendant did not “control” the publication so as to allow liability; and even if it did, no claim under the Human Rights Act could lie against FB as it could not be described as any sort of a public authority for the purposes of Section 6 of the Act.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 9th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

University of Sussex to pay student protester £20,000 in damages – The Guardian

Posted October 16th, 2015 in damages, defamation, demonstrations, news, universities by sally

‘The University of Sussex has apologised to a former student, admitting there was “no truth” in its claim that he’d led an unlawful occupation of the university and carried out acts of criminal behaviour.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Courts likely to look for evidence that journalists have verified alleged defamatory statements, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 16th, 2015 in defamation, evidence, media, news, Privy Council, public interest by sally

‘Journalists seeking to rely on the new ‘public interest’ defence to a claim of defamation will still have to be able to prove that they have taken steps to verify the accuracy of what they have published, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 15th October 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Ex-MP Tim Yeo sues Sunday Times over ‘cash for advocacy’ claims – BBC News

Posted October 13th, 2015 in codes of practice, defamation, media, news, parliament by sally

‘A former Conservative MP has told a court his reputation had been “trashed” by a national newspaper which alleged he breached parliamentary codes of conduct.’

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BBC News, 12th October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Injunction and damages in libel case awarded against anonymous website – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted September 18th, 2015 in damages, defamation, injunctions, internet, news by sally

‘Brett Wilson LLP v Person(s) Unknown, Responsible for the Operation of the Website solicitorsfromhell.co.uk, 7 September (Warby J) [2015] EWHC 2628 (QB). This was a claim in libel by a firm of solicitors who acted for another firm which also claimed against the operators of SFHUK, causing the original site to be shut down (Law Society v Rick Kordowski [2011]). In this case the words complained of appeared on a new site, but despite efforts by the present claimants, it was not possible to find out who was operating it. The site alleged various aspects of mismanagement, including incompetence and fraud. It also quoted a client of the claimant firm who alleged overcharging and who refused to pay their fees. (It is worth noting that the site appears to have been taken down since default judgement was given in this case).’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 17th September 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judge orders removal of defamatory references to law firm on Solicitors From Hell copycat website – Legal Futures

Posted September 17th, 2015 in defamation, injunctions, internet, law firms, news by sally

‘A High Court judge has ordered the take-down of pages of an anti-solicitor website that contain defamatory statements about a law firm, after a litigation opponent alleged their publication was “evidence that the firm was disreputable”.’

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Legal Futures, 17th September 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Soviet dissident sues Crown Prosecution Service, alleging libel – The Guardian

‘The veteran Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky is suing the Crown Prosecution Service for libel over a statement it issued in April announcing that he was being charged with child pornography offences.’

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The Guardian, 24th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Proof of reputational damage necessary for libel actions to succeed, rules High Court – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 6th, 2015 in defamation, evidence, media, news by sally

‘Businesses and people that bring libel actions should not succeed with those claims unless there is proof that the published comments made about them damage, or are likely to damage, their reputation, the High Court in London has ruled.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th August 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd; Lachaux v Evening Standard Ltd; Lachaux v AOL – WLR Daily

Posted August 4th, 2015 in defamation, law reports, news by sally

Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd; Lachaux v Evening Standard Ltd; Lachaux v AOL (UK) Ltd [2015] EWHC 2242 (QB); [2015] WLR (D) 345

‘The effect of section 1(1) of the Defamation Act 2013 was that a statement was not defamatory of a person unless it had caused or would probably cause serious harm to that person’s reputation, those being matters to be proved by the claimant on the balance of probabilities.’

WLR Daily, 30th July 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Online platforms face growing risk of defamation claims, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 17th, 2015 in defamation, internet, media, news by sally

‘The rise in the number of defamation claims before the High Court and Court of Appeal in London last year could reflect the growing risk online platforms face from such claims, an expert has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 16th June 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Freddie Starr sues over grope claim – BBC News

Posted June 16th, 2015 in damages, defamation, news, public interest by sally

‘Comedian Freddie Starr is claiming damages from a woman who says he groped her when she was 15.’

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BBC News, 15th June 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

European Court of Human Rights: Lawyers do not have same freedom to speak out as journalists – Legal Futures

Posted May 29th, 2015 in defamation, freedom of expression, human rights, legal profession, news by sally

‘Lawyers do not have the same rights to speak out on sensitive and high-profile cases as journalists, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 29th May 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Sir Roger Moore wins damages over ‘grope’ claim – BBC News

Posted May 14th, 2015 in damages, defamation, news by sally

‘The actor Sir Roger Moore has accepted undisclosed libel damages over claims that he groped a woman while shooting James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. The 87-year-old also received an apology and his legal costs over a story that appeared in the Daily Mail and on Mail Online in October 2014.’

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BBC News, 13th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Stalking victim warns of legal loophole – BBC News

Posted April 30th, 2015 in civil justice, criminal justice, defamation, harassment, news, stalking, victims by sally

‘Stalkers must be stopped from using a loophole in the legal system to harass their targets, a victim has said.’

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BBC News, 29th April 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

TV ‘exposure’ of Scientology halted by UK libel law split – The Guardian

‘Plans to broadcast HBO’s Church of Scientology exposé, Going Clear, have been shelved by Sky Atlantic in a virtual repeat of events two years ago, when UK publishers abandoned publication of the book on which the hard-hitting new TV documentary is based.’

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The Guardian, 18th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk