Consultant wins Dental CPD dispute
Business consultant Dr Andrew Guise has won his claims for libel, harassment and breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 over a website created about him by entrepreneur Rajeev Shah. Dr Guise had provided services… Read More »
Mosque dispute claimants awarded £45,000 each
Judgment has been given by Mr Justice Jeremy Baker in Asghar & Mujahid v Ahmad, Ali, Bhutt and Hayat. The Claimants succeeded in proving that they had been defamed by the Fourth Defendant, Mr Hayat,… Read More »
5RB Talks 2015: Bristol
5RB‘s series of 2015 talks kicked off on 12 February in Bristol. 5RB‘s Jacob Dean, Felicity McMahon and Julian Santos spoke about the Defamation Act 2013 and developments since it came into force, how to… Read More »
Lords: Current laws sufficient for social media offences
The House of Lords Communication Committee, in its report on social media offences, has come to the conclusion that current laws are sufficient. Laws such as the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and the Communications… Read More »
Lords inquiry into social media offences
The House of Lords Communications Committee is conducting an inquiry into social media and communications offences. The inquiry will look into whether the legislation currently dealing with such offences (which includes the Offences Against the… Read More »
Attorney General to withdraw contempt archives plans
The Attorney General has announced, via written statement to Parliament, that the Government plans to withdraw clauses 51 and 52 from the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. The clauses, if they became law, would have… Read More »
Law Commission recommends contempt exemption for online archives
The Law Commission has published a report making its recommendations for law reform relating to contempt by jurors and modern media aspects of contempt by publication. 5RB’s Godwin Busuttil and Christina Michalos contributed to the… Read More »
Defamation Act 2013 to come into force on 1 January 2014
Justice Minister Lord McNally has confirmed that the Defamation Act 2013 will come into force on 1 January 2014. The Act received Royal Assent on 25 April of this year, but requires an Order from… Read More »
Matthew Nicklin QC to speak at corporate forum
Matthew Nicklin QC will be speaking at Legal Week’s Corporate Governance and Risk Forum on the 21 November 2013, Park Lane Hotel, London. Matthew’s session at 11am is entitled “Trial by media… the risk to… Read More »
ECHR: Liability of Website Operators for User Comments not a breach
In its 10 October 2013 judgment in the case of Delfi AS v Estonia, the European Court of Human Rights found no breach of the applicant’s Article 10 rights where the domestic court had found… Read More »
Social media marketing: new legal guide
Two 5RB barristers have contributed to a new guide to the legal risks of marketing via social media. Practical Legal Guidance in the Use of Social Media Marketing aims to help marketers Understand the legal traps in… Read More »
DPP unveils guidance on social media prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keir Starmer has issued guidance for the CPS on when to initiate legal action against those who breach UK communications laws on social media. The guidance comes after a number… Read More »
Blogger loses libel claim against Council
A Blogger, who runs a website called Carmarthenshire Planning Problems and More, has lost her libel claim against a Council and its Chief Executive. Jacqui Thompson had achieved some nationwide publicity when she was arrested… Read More »
Google can be liable as publisher
The Court of Appeal today handed down its long-awaited judgment in Tamiz v Google Inc. It is the first case, following a sequence of High Court decisions such as Godfrey v Demon Internet, Bunt v Tilley… Read More »
Peter Cruddas awarded £45k for breach of election law libel
Peter Cruddas, Executive Chairman of CMC Markets and former co-Treasurer of the Conservative Party, has today been awarded libel damages of £45,000 in the High Court against Mark Adams, the lobbyist and former Private Secretary… Read More »
Law Commission launches consultation on Contempt of Court
The Law Commission today launched a consultation paper on Contempt of Court. The consultation paper deals with the following four areas: 1) contempt by publication; 2) the new media; 3) contempts committed by jurors; and 4)… Read More »
Disclosure order against internet trolling
A woman from Brighton has secured a disclosure order against Facebook in relation to a persistent internet “troll” campaign against her. Nicola Brookes became inexplicably subjected to wide-ranging internet harassment after she wrote a message… Read More »
Times withdraws Flood appeal
The Times has withdrawn its appeal to the Supreme Court in regard to what has become known as the second limb of its appeal in Flood v Times Newspapers Limited. The second limb concerned Tugendhat J.’s… Read More »
Tulisa obtains injunction
Tulisa Contostavlos, formerly of N-Dbuz, has been granted an injunction until trial to restrain the publication of video footage on the internet showing her engaged in a sexal act with a former boyfriend. The footage… Read More »
Liability for hyperlinks
The Supreme Court of Canada has decided that mere hyperlinking to defamatory matter is an insufficient basis on which to impose liability for defamation, even if the publisher of the hyperlinks is aware of the… Read More »