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Privacy law

What does GDPR mean for journalists?

From 25 May 2018, General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, will be enforced by regulators across Europe. This need-to-know GDPR guide explains what this will mean for UK newsrooms, b2b media, and freelance journalists

Posted by Marcela Kunova on 15/05/18

EU privacy rulings: 'huge consequences' for UK press

European Court of Human Rights 'recognises essential role played by press' with two landmark rulings in favour of free speech

Posted by Paul McNally on 10/02/12

Public interest test should not fall on editors, panel tells MPs

A panel of celebrities and public figures tells the joint committee on privacy and injunctions an independent body or arbitrator should judge public interest where there is doubt, not the editor

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 05/12/11

Attorney general warns journalists over parliament reporting

Following controversial injunction-breaking statements in parliament earlier this year, Dominic Grieve warns journalists they are not necessarily protected from prosecution in their coverage

Posted by Joel Gunter on 01/12/11

Full text: Dominic Grieve on the press and contempt of court

Contempt – A Balancing Act: Full text of attorney general Dominic Grieve's speech on balancing the freedom of the press with the fair administration of justice

Posted by Joel Gunter on 01/12/11

Max Mosley wins French case against News of the World

Former FIA chief Max Mosley has won a privacy case against the News of the World in France, where 3,000 copies of an edition containing images of him with prostitutes was distributed

Posted by Joel Gunter on 08/11/11

Morrissey's libel case against NME to go before jury

Singer has been granted go-ahead to take his libel case against the publisher and former editor of NME magazine, over alleged racism allegations, before a jury next year

Posted by Joel Gunter on 26/10/11

Ofcom rejects Tommy Sheridan complaint against BBC

Broadcasting regulator finds sufficient public interest in BBC documentary about former MSP to justify using leaked footage of police interviews

Posted by Joel Gunter on 24/10/11

In full: Final joint committee report on draft defamation bill

Read the full report from a joint House of Commons and House of Lords committee into the government's draft libel reform proposals

Posted by Journalism.co.uk on 19/10/11

Records of injunctions to be published under new pilot scheme

Master of the Rolls releases guidelines on what details about non-disclosure orders can be collected and published

Posted by Rachel McAthy on 01/08/11

Twitter users face prosecution if they breach injunctions, warns attorney general

Attorney general Dominic Grieve has warned that individuals who use Twitter to breach injunctions could face contempt of court proceedings

Posted by Joel Gunter on 07/06/11

Max Mosley requests appeal over European Court prior notification loss

Collyer Bristow solicitors today confirmed a request had been made for the case to be referred to the Grand Chamber

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 02/06/11

Judge delays decision over Sun attempt to relax Sir Fred Goodwin injunction

The publisher of the Sun attempted today to have part of Goodwin's gagging order lifted, allowing it to report details of his affair

Posted by Joel Gunter on 01/06/11

Footballer's upheld injunction leaves journalists in strange situation

In an emergency court hearing late yesterday afternoon, Mr Justice Tugendhat upheld a privacy injunction protecting the footballer 'CTB' from being named by the press

Posted by Joel Gunter on 24/05/11

Sun bids to lift injunction for second time today after MP names Ryan Giggs

Hemming also named Giles Coren as the journalist supposedly threatened with legal action for identifying another footballer protected by an injunction

Posted by Joel Gunter on 23/05/11

Sun fails in high court bid to lift footballer's injunction

Judge dismisses latest attempt to overturn injunction, despite player being identified by Scottish newspaper and repeatedly on Twitter

Posted by Joel Gunter on 23/05/11

Sun to go back to court to fight footballer's injunction

Newspaper will mount fresh high court challenge following the Sunday Herald's identification of footballer alleged to have obtained injunction

Posted by Joel Gunter on 23/05/11

Journalist could face jail over alleged injunction breach on Twitter

Well-known journalist and television personality could face up to two years for allegedly naming a footballer protected by a superinjunction

Posted by Joel Gunter on 23/05/11

Footballer injunction: Scottish newspaper editor 'did not take decision lightly'

Sunday Herald editor says the paper identified a footballer alleged to be protected by an injunction to highlight the 'ridiculous situation' facing the press

Posted by Joel Gunter on 22/05/11

Twitter sued by footballer over injunction breach

Social media site and several of its users face action over messages claiming to reveal details of a privacy injunction obtained by the footballer

Posted by Joel Gunter on 20/05/11

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From our editors' blog

Guardian: Court of protection should be open to media, says leading judge

The processes of England’s most private court should be opened up to public and media scrutiny, the head of the court of protection Sir Nicholas Wall has said in an interview with the Guardian. The media has recently been granted increased access to the proceedings of the court, which makes decisions in the cases of [...]

Posted by Joel Gunter on 7 November 2011

Jo Yeates' landlord: media responsible for 'extraordinary tissue of fabrications'

Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme Chris Jefferies, the landlord of Joanna Yeates who was arrested on suspicion of her murder but later released, tells of being 'very disturbed' by press reports after his arrest

Posted by Joel Gunter on 2 November 2011

Guardian: Ryan Giggs launches legal action over NOTW phone hacking

Ryan Giggs is to sue NOTW parent company, the Guardian reports and reveals Rebekah Brooks has been shown evidence by the Met that she was targeted by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire

Posted by Sarah Marshall on 16 June 2011

Guardian: Ministers agree on terms of reference for privacy committee

Guardian reports that the terms of reference have been agreed for a joint committee tasked with assessing the balance between the rights to privacy and freedom of expression

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 9 June 2011

Independent: Poll finds judges 'too ready' to gag newspapers

The public has been described as having 'little sympathy' for people in the public eye who turn to the courts to stop embarrassing details of their private lives coming to light

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 1 June 2011

Guardian: Hunt rules out new privacy law

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has ruled out a new privacy law after meeting with Justice Minister Ken Clarke

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 19 May 2011

Superinjuctions and celebrity privacy case numbers revealed

The Star on Sunday listed 50 anonymous and superinjunctions, while the Mail revealed the number of celebrities seeking legal protection

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 16 May 2011

Independent: Max Mosley 'bankrolling' legal costs of phone hacking victims

Max Mosley, the former Formula One chief who won £60,000 in damages in a privacy action against the News of the World, is "bankrolling phone-hacking victims' fight against the tabloid"

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 5 May 2011

Kelvin MacKenzie: Online makes mockery of super injunctions

Technology is "making fools" of high court judgements in relation to injunctions, according to former editor of the Sun Kelvin Mackenzie. Speaking on BBC Radio 4 Today on Saturday, reflecting on Andrew Marr's revelation last week that he had taken out a super-injunction to protect his family's privacy, Mackenzie said there should not be any such protections afforded.

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 3 May 2011

Lord Lester 'not enthusiastic' about privacy laws

Lord Lester urged the newly-formed joint committee on the draft defamation bill not to try to tackle a privacy law within the legislation

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 27 April 2011

BBC: David Cameron's concern about injunctions creating privacy law

David Cameron has expressed his unease at judges using human rights legislation "to deliver a sort of privacy law"

Posted by Sarah Booker on 21 April 2011

Observer seeks to distinguish 'Operation Motorman' from the phone-hacking scandal

'Operation Motorman' investigated the use of a private investigator by the media to obtain personal information through a deception process referred to as 'blagging'

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 4 February 2011

Daily Mail apologises to Matt Lucas over invasion of privacy claim

Matt Lucas received 'substantial undisclosed' damages and an apology from Associated Newspapers following an article relating to the death of his ex-partner

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 17 December 2010

Mail Online: New high court injunction granted for sports star

A married sportsman has won an injunction from the high court banning reporting on his private life

Posted by Laura Oliver on 12 November 2010

Vanessa Perroncel speaks out against super-injunctions

Vanessa Perroncel has given newspaper interviews in which she condemns both the use of gagging orders by celebrities and the tabloid media coverage of affair allegations

Posted by Rachel Bartlett on 23 August 2010

CMS report: No case for a general privacy law

The Culture Media and Sport Committee said there is currently no case for a general privacy law in its report into press standards, privacy and libel

Posted by Laura Oliver on 24 February 2010

The demise of the superinjunction?

The over-ruling of footballer John Terry's gagging order by Justice Tugendhat may mean courts will be less willing to issue superinjunctions

Posted by Judith Townend on 1 February 2010

Paperhouse: Jon Snow is pro-privacy law - 'tabloids are going out of business anyway'

Jon Snow welcomes privacy law, in reverse-role interview with Ann Widdecombe

Posted by Judith Townend on 28 September 2009

Watch again: BBC Panorama - 'The Death of Kiss and Tell'

Last night’s Panorama on privacy law and its threat to journalism is available on BBC iPlayer at this link. BBC news story at this link. From the Panorama site: … “it is not only kiss and tell stories that are under threat, and editors fear serious investigative journalism could be jeopardised; Panorama investigates this growing [...]

Posted by Judith Townend on 16 June 2009

Rebekah Wade's first public speech in full

The full Hugh Cudlipp speech by the editor of the Sun, Rebekah Wade

Posted by Judith Townend on 27 January 2009

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