Category: freedom of expression

Crown Prosecution Service re-review of Operation Elveden – CPS News Brief

Posted April 20th, 2015 in appeals, bribery, codes of practice, corruption, Crown Prosecution Service, freedom of expression, inquiries, media, misfeasance in public office, news, police, prosecutions, public interest by sally

‘Operation Elveden is a Metropolitan Police Service investigation that revealed the payments made to corrupt public officials by journalists for information. It followed two parliamentary committees and the Leveson Inquiry which revealed serious questions over the techniques used by some which may have amounted to systematic and flagrant breaches of the law. The range and circumstance of this activity was of a scale not previously encountered by police or CPS.’

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CPS News Brief, 17th April 2015

Source: http://blog.cps.gov.uk

Three years, £20 million, one conviction: Operation Elveden on brink of collapse – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 20th, 2015 in appeals, bribery, corruption, Crown Prosecution Service, freedom of expression, media, misfeasance in public office, news, police, prosecutions, public interest by sally

‘Operation Elveden, the long running investigation into allegations of corruption by tabloid journalists, lies in tatters after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was forced to scrap most of the outstanding cases. ‘

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Daily Telegraph, 17th April 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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

Posted April 20th, 2015 in charities, defamation, freedom of expression, harassment, jurisdiction, media, news, Northern Ireland, public interest, tax avoidance by sally

‘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

‘Naked rambler’ Stephen Gough’s European appeal rejected – BBC News

Posted March 25th, 2015 in appeals, freedom of expression, human rights, news, public order by sally

‘A man known as the “naked rambler” has had his final appeal to be naked in public rejected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).’

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BBC News, 24th March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Mark Duggan shooting: armed officers cleared of wrongdoing – The Guardian

Posted March 25th, 2015 in complaints, crime, firearms, freedom of expression, gangs, news, police, reports by sally

‘The police watchdog has cleared armed officers of any wrongdoing in the killing of Mark Duggan, saying it was likely that he was in the process of throwing away a handgun when he was shot.’

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The Guardian, 25th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Taunton street preacher convicted for homophobic sermon – BBC News

Posted March 24th, 2015 in compensation, costs, fines, freedom of expression, harassment, news, sentencing, sexual orientation discrimination by sally

‘A Christian street preacher has been convicted of delivering homophobic sermons in the middle of a high street.’

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BBC News, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Home Office to blacklist extremists to protect public sector – The Guardian

Posted March 24th, 2015 in education, freedom of expression, government departments, news, proscribed organisations by sally

‘The Home Office is drawing up a blacklist of extremist individuals and organisations with whom the government and public sector should not engage, Theresa May has revealed.’

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The Guardian, 23rd March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Theresa May drops rules on ordering universities to ban extremist speakers – The Guardian

Posted March 23rd, 2015 in contempt of court, freedom of expression, news, terrorism, universities by sally

‘The home secretary, Theresa May, has been forced to drop new statutory rules under which ministers could order universities and colleges to ban external extremist speakers.’

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The Guardian, 20th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bert and Ernie gay marriage cake row could force Muslims to print Prophet Mohammed cartoons – lawyer – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 18th, 2015 in food, freedom of expression, homosexuality, human rights, marriage, news, Northern Ireland, sale of goods by sally

‘Human Rights barrister claims gay marriage cake court case would erode right to refuse to act against conscience.’

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Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Section 1 Defamation Act 2013: Will the test of the hypothetical reasonable reader be replaced by that of the twitter troll? – 5RB

Posted March 17th, 2015 in defamation, freedom of expression, news by sally

‘In this article, 5RB‘s Adrienne Page QC discusses what section 1 Defamation Act 2013 means in practice, and how it may affect both claimants and free speech.’

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5RB, 10th February 2015

Source: www.5rb.com

Policing abuse in the online world – where does the law currently stand? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted March 9th, 2015 in enforcement, freedom of expression, internet, investigatory powers, malicious communications, news, police, racism by tracey

‘The prevalence of racist and misogynistic abuse online has become firmly established as a matter that now warrants considerable political attention. As legislators pick between the differences in “real world” and online forms of abuse, as well as judicial borders of the internet, Rhory Robertson, partner at Collyer Bristow LLP, outlines the many questions that must be addressed in any new lawmaking.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th March 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Access all areas? – New Law Journal

Posted March 2nd, 2015 in bills, codes of practice, confidentiality, data protection, EC law, electronic mail, freedom of expression, intelligence services, interception, investigatory powers, legal profession, news, police, privacy, privilege, telecommunications, terrorism by sally

‘Overriding lawyer-client & confidential communications is incompatible with the rule of law, as Nicholas Griffin QC, Robert O’Sullivan QC & Gordon Nardell QC explain.’

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New Law Journal, 27th February 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Press regulator to look at Daily Telegraph and HSBC allegations – The Guardian

Posted February 25th, 2015 in complaints, freedom of expression, interception, media, news, professional conduct, regulations, telecommunications by sally

‘The press regulator is to look at allegations that the Daily Telegraph allowed commercial pressures to dictate editorial decisions following Peter Oborne’s resignation over its coverage of HSBC.’

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The Guardian, 24th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Britain is leading the charge against basic human rights, Amnesty claims – The Independent

Posted February 25th, 2015 in data protection, EC law, freedom of expression, genocide, human rights, investigatory powers, legal aid, news, privacy, rule of law by sally

‘Increased surveillance in Britain, along with the reduction of access to justice, have contributed to one of the worst assaults on human rights in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to a damning assessment by Amnesty International.’

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The Independent, 25th February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

JX MX v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (Personal Injury Bar Association and another intervening) – WLR Daily

Posted February 20th, 2015 in anonymity, appeals, children, codes of practice, damages, disclosure, freedom of expression, law reports, media, personal injuries, privacy, reporting restrictions by sally

JX MX v Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (Personal Injury Bar Association and another intervening) [2015] EWCA Civ 96 ; [2015] WLR (D) 77

‘The Court of Appeal issued guidelines as to the principles which should apply, on an application for approval of a compromise of a claim of damages for personal injury brought by a child, where the court in the exercise of its power was deciding whether as a matter of necessity to withhold from the public the names of the parties to the litigation.

WLR Daily, 17th February 2015

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

CA supports anonymity orders in personal injury approval hearings – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 20th, 2015 in anonymity, appeals, birth, children, codes of practice, consent, disclosure, freedom of expression, media, news, personal injuries, privacy, reporting restrictions by sally

‘For some years there has been debate between the judges about whether anonymity orders should be made when very seriously injured people’s claims are settled and the court is asked to approve the settlement. This welcome decision of the Court of Appeal means that anonymity orders will normally be made in cases involving protected parties.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 19th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Lawyers using libel threats to “intimidate” clients who post negative reviews online – Legal Futures

Posted February 20th, 2015 in barristers, complaints, consumer protection, defamation, freedom of expression, internet, news, solicitors by sally

‘Lawyers are increasingly using threats of libel action to intimidate clients into taking down negative reviews from comparison websites, it was claimed yesterday.’

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Legal Futures, 20th February 2015

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Charities warn ‘gagging law’ stops them campaigning on election issues – The Independent

Posted February 19th, 2015 in charities, elections, freedom of expression, lobbying, news by sally

‘Charities have warned they are being deterred from staging major campaigns on crucial general election issues because of the “chilling” impact of controversial new rules on lobbying.’

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The Independent, 18th February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Twitter joke trial law is being used to win easy convictions and must be scrapped, report claims – The Independent

Posted February 19th, 2015 in cautions, crime, freedom of expression, internet, news, police, prosecutions, reports, telecommunications by sally

‘The law used to prosecute a man for joking on Twitter about blowing up a snowbound airport should be scrapped since it is used to get easy convictions, according to a report out today.’

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The Independent, 19th February 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Critics of Islam prevented from entering UK to attend Lee Rigby rally – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted February 16th, 2015 in armed forces, freedom of expression, human rights, immigration, judicial review, news, public order, terrorism, third parties, violence by sally

‘This short case involves the old dilemma of public order law: whether it is right to shut down speech when the speaker himself does not intend to incite violence, but whose presence it is said may lead third parties to commit violence. Indeed the facts of this particular case go further than that , because the applicants had no plans to make any public address during their proposed visit to Britain. It was their presence alone which was feared would inflame “community tensions”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com