Lily Walker-Parr

Lily joined Chambers in 2019 and represents both claimants and defendants across all areas of Chambers’ practice, including libel, misuse of private information, data protection, reporting restrictions and open justice, copyright, contempt and harassment by publication.

Lily has appeared in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and County Court and has experience of trials, injunctions and complex interlocutory hearings. She has been twice ranked as ‘Up and Coming’ in the Chambers and Partners UK Bar Guide (Defamation/ Privacy) and received the following testimonials: “A surprisingly bold advocate for her years” (2024) and “Lily knows this stuff backwards, has a really good feel for it and is a future star of the bar” (2025).

Lily also has significant experience providing pre-publication legal and regulatory advice in respect of print, broadcast and social media. Her clients include leading publishing houses, newspapers, broadcasters, academic journals, and PR for companies, public figures and celebrities. Additionally, she worked as a night lawyer for The Times, legalled live broadcasts on TalkTV, and spent two years on secondment at Channel 5 advising in respect of the production and content of over 200 commissioned shows.

Examples of recent work include:

Misuse of Private Information and Breach of Confidence

• Acted for a former prisoner in a MPI and data protection claim against his former prison officer, concerning the publication of various YouTube videos and a book which contained his private information and special category data, including data concerning his mental health (for C).
• Advised in respect of a claim for MPI and harassment concerning alleged threats by D to disclose C’s private information. An ex-parte interim injunction had already been granted but the case settled before the return hearing. This was a complex matter, as the unusual terms of the interim Order risked engaging D’s privilege against self-incrimination, in circumstances where there were live parallel criminal proceedings (for D).
• Phone Hacking Litigation (2022): Acting for Mirror Group Newspapers (D) in claims brought by numerous celebrities and other individuals concerning accusations of unlawful news-gathering activities, including voicemail interception and blagging.
• Blauel v John: Settlement following a claim for breach of a Non-Disclosure Agreement against the Claimant’s ex-husband, Sir Elton John (for C, led by Adam Wolanski KC).

Reporting restrictions

• Hinduja v Hinduja [2022] EWCA Civ 1492: Partially successful appeal against a decision to lift a reporting restriction in the Court of Protection, in proceedings concerning one of the UK’s wealthiest families (for A (as media law counsel), with Sam Chandler and led by David Rees KC of 5 Stone Buildings).

Libel

• Tattersall v Tattersall (2024): Three-day libel trial concerning an allegation that the Claimant tried to make the Defendant (her widowed daughter-in-law) homeless, continually told lies about her, and consequently caused her to be ostracised in her local community. An application was also made at trial to strike out parts of the truth defence on the basis of res judicata and abuse of process (for C (unled), judgment outstanding).
• Mueen-Uddin v SSHD [2024] UKSC 21: Unanimous decision of the Supreme Court granting an appeal against the striking out of C’s libel and data protection claim in respect of an allegation, published in a Government report, that C was a war criminal. The decision examined the doctrines of Hunter and Jameel abuse of process and the correct application of the ‘rule in Dingle’ (for C/A, led by Jacob Dean).
• Wright v McCormack: Twitter libel case concerning an allegation that C had fraudulently claimed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, the inventor of bitcoin (for C, with Greg Callus. Led by Adam Wolanski KC to trial, and Lord (David) Wolfson KC of One Essex Court in the Court of Appeal):
  • The Pre-Trial Review decision considered a number of complex substantive and procedural issues, including the applicability of the ‘rule in Dingle‘ to serious harm under s.1 of the Defamation Act 2013 ([2021] EWHC 2671 (QB); [2022] E.M.L.R. 10).
  • C succeeded on liability following a three-day High Court trial in May 2022 ([2022] EWHC 2068 (QB); [2023] E.M.L.R. 2).
  • C’s appeal against the nominal damages award was refused, but the Court of Appeal examined in detail the circumstances in which a libel claimant’s general damages could be reduced due to litigation conduct ([2023] EWCA Civ 892; [2023] E.M.L.R. 20).
• Obtained permission to serve a libel claim outside the jurisdiction, in Ghana, under CPR rr.6.36 and 6.38, and s.9 of the Defamation Act 2013 (for C).
• Security for costs ordered against a claimant holding company based in the Marshall Islands, with an unless Order that the claim be struck out in default of payment. Claim subsequently struck out with costs (for D).
• Sykes v Shaw: Statement in Open Court read following settlement of a libel claim involving serious allegations made in a Facebook post (for C (unled)).
• Wright v Granath [2021] EWCA Civ 28; [2021] 4 W.L.R. 24: An appeal regarding the application of the lis pendens provisions of the Lugano Convention in personality rights claims, where the defendant applies for Negative Declaratory Relief in another signatory state (for C/A, with Greg Callus and led by Adam Wolanski KC).
• Wright v Ver [2019] EWHC 2094 (QB): A Twitter libel claim which considered the jurisdiction provisions in s.9 of the Defamation Act 2013 (for C, led by Adam Wolanski KC).

Data protection

• Cleary v Marston (Holdings) Ltd [2021] EWHC 3809 (QB); [2022] Costs L.R. 1451 – Appeared at the case management hearing in a claim for data protection, misuse of private information and breach of confidence. Nicklin J set down guidance for allocation and pleading low value data breach claims with overlapping causes of action (for C (unled)).

Legal commentary and seminars

Lily regularly hosts training seminars for media lawyers and journalists and writes on issues concerning media law. Recent publications include:

• “From privacy to publicity: controlling the disclosure of allegations of abuse in litigation” [2023] International Family Law, 77-81 – An article discussing transparency in the civil, family and criminal courts (co-authored with Adam Wolanski KC).
• Quarterly and weekly editions of the industry publication, ‘Zoom In’ magazine (as a Contributing Editor).
• Bullen, Jacob & Leakes’ Precedents of Pleadings (19th ed, 1st Supp) (Sections on Defamation and Malicious Falsehood) (co-authored with Jane Phillips, Kate Wilson and Ben Gallop).
• The JUSTICE Advisory Group’s response to the Government’s Consultation to reform the Human Rights Act 1998 – specifically on the issues concerning freedom of expression (co-authored with Sir Michael Tugendhat).
• “The transparency debate” [2022] International Family Law 148 – A letter to the Editors of the IFLJ, exploring the impact of transparency on the contrasting outcomes of the Depp v NGN (UK) and Depp v Heard (US) libel claims.
• Lexis®PSL case notes (covering the Bekoe v Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Islington MPI and GDPR claim (2023), Bindel v PinkNews trial of preliminary issues (2021), Al Maktoum v Al Hussein RRO decision (2020), and Depp v NGN trial (2020)) and Information Law Practice Notes on injunctions and privacy law (as a member of the Lexis PSL Case Analysis Expert Panel).

Awards and scholarships

• Pegasus Trust Scholarship (USA 2022), Inns of Court, 2020
• Exhibition Award, Inner Temple, 2017
• Duke of Edinburgh Entrance Award, Inner Temple, 2017
• Advocacy Scholarship, University of Law, 2017
• Winner, Herbert Smith Freehills’ Moot, University of Bristol, 2017
• PASS Scholarship, Inner Temple, 2016
• Jeremy McMullen Award, Middle Temple, 2016

Additional experience

During pupillage, Lily’s supervisors were Jacob Dean, Christina Michalos KC and Adam Speker KC. She assisted members of chambers with a variety of court and advisory work, including a libel trial, a meaning hearing, a discontinuance hearing and an appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Lily also spent time at the BBC, Channel 5, The Sun and The Times.

Prior to joining 5RB, Lily interned with an international media defence charity and a production company.

Lily also mentors aspiring barristers and regularly speaks at events concerning social mobility at the Bar. She is a member of 5RB’s Equality and Diversity Committee and the Inner Temple’s Bar Liaison and Communications and AI Committees. Lily also edits the Inner Temple Yearbook and is a Trustee of the National Justice Museum.