Justice for dinner lady who told of school bullying – Daily Telegraph

“A school dinner lady who was unfairly sacked after telling a seven-year-old girl’s parents that their daughter had been tied to a fence and hit with a skipping rope has won her two-year battle for compensation.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Iraq war activists to get £4,000 compensation over 2003 protest – The Guardian

Posted February 11th, 2013 in compensation, demonstrations, freedom of expression, human rights, news, police by sally

“Anti-war protesters who were prevented by police from attending a mass rally outside an RAF airbase have been awarded more than £4,000 each in compensation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

RAF Fairford protesters win legal battle against police – BBC News

Posted February 8th, 2013 in demonstrations, freedom of expression, news, police by sally

“Anti-war campaigners whose coaches were prevented from joining a mass rally against the Iraq war have won their legal battle against police.”

Full story

BBC News, 8th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Trial by Google? Juries, social media and the internet – Attorney General’s Office

Posted February 8th, 2013 in contempt of court, freedom of expression, internet, juries, news, strict liability by sally

“Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP speaks of the challenge to jury trial posed by the internet. Originally given at University of Kent.”

Full story

Attorney General’s Office, 6th February 2013

Source: www.gov.uk/ago

Regina (Gallastegui) v Westminster City Council and others – WLR Daily

Regina (Gallastegui) v Westminster City Council and others [2013] EWCA Civ 28; [2013] WLR (D) 45

“Sections 143 and 145 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 were carefully targeted to prevent protesters camping with tents or sleeping equipment on Parliament Square Gardens, but did not generally impair freedom to protest at all. As a consequence they were not incompatible with the rights to freedom of expression and protest in articles 10 and 11 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Sincethe procedure set out in the 2011 Act allowed for access to a court, article 6 of the Convention was not engaged.”

WLR Daily, 30th January 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Twitter cases ‘threat to freedom of speech’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 4th, 2013 in freedom of expression, internet, malicious communications, news, prosecutions by tracey

“Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions, said too many investigations
into comments on networks such as Twitter would have a ‘chilling effect’ on free
speech. He issued his warning as he signalled that anyone who posted an
offensive message but then quickly removed it could escape prosecution.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Leveson: Press and politicians still seek solution – BBC News

“For months, the Leveson Inquiry dominated the news, as a succession of high-profile witnesses gave evidence – actors Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller, singer Charlotte Church; the parents of Milly Dowler and Madeleine McCann; editors, proprietors, police chiefs, politicians.”

Full story

BBC News, 27th January 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Public insults to be legalised but grossly offensive messages still criminal – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 15th, 2013 in crime, freedom of expression, news, public order by sally

“Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, which outlaws the use of ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour’ will be amended to remove the word ‘insulting’. The amendment is the result of a successful, high-profile campaign which asked ‘Do we really need the police and the courts to deal with insults?'”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 15th January 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

‘Insulting words’ crime ditched – BBC News

Posted January 15th, 2013 in crime, freedom of expression, news, public order by sally

“The crime of ‘insulting’ someone through words or behaviour, which once led to the arrest of a student for asking a police officer whether his horse was gay, is to be dropped.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th January 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gagging order preventing Sun report on child protection scandal overturned – The Guardian

“The Sun has won a two-month battle to overturn an injunction brought by Bristol City Council that prevented it from reporting details of a child protection scandal.”

Full story

The Guardian, 9th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Poppy burning teenager meets forces personnel in lieu of criminal charges – The Guardian

“A teenager who was arrested after posting a picture of a burning poppy on Facebook has escaped charges after meeting serving and former military personnel as part of a restorative justice programme.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New prosecution guidance on offensive speech online: sensible, but the law is still out of date – UK Human Rights Blog

“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has published interim guidance on when to prosecute people for grossly offensive and obscene messages they send on social media. The guidelines are now subject to a full public consultation. Earlier this year, I took part in a series of round table discussions with the DPP over how the guidelines would look.”

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th December 2012

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Calling time on Scandalising the Court – Law Commission

“The Law Commission is recommending that the offence of scandalising the court should be abolished and not replaced.”

Full story

Law Commission, 19th December 2012

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

DPP launches public consultation on prosecutions involving social media communications – Crown Prosecution Service

“The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has today published interim guidelines setting out the approach prosecutors should take in cases involving communications sent via social media.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 19th December 2012

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

Internet porn: Automatic block rejected – BBC News

“Ministers have rejected plans to automatically block internet access to pornography on all computers, saying the move is not widely supported.”

Full story

BBC News, 15th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Press regulations and prank calls: Rumpole and the Regulator – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 14th, 2012 in freedom of expression, media, news, telecommunications by tracey

“This week headlines have been dominated by the recommendations from the Leveson Inquiry; and the two Australian DJs, whose prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge led to the nurse who took the call taking her own life. Yet again, we are asking questions about press freedom and whether we should be drafting new regulations.”

Full Story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 13th December

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Peers vote to remove law banning insulting language – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2012 in crime, freedom of expression, news, parliament, public order by sally

“The House of Lords on Wednesday night voted to remove a law that criminalises the use of insulting language in Britain.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Anthony Lester: my vision of a Leveson law – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2012 in bills, complaints, freedom of expression, legislation, media, news by sally

“Use of the UK supreme court and judicial review can renew confidence in a system of self-regulation.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Privacy and the internet – Speech by Lord Justice Leveson

Posted December 10th, 2012 in freedom of expression, internet, judges, news, privacy by sally

Privacy and the internet (PDF)

Speech by Lord Justice Leveson

Communications Law Centre, University of Technology Sydney, Australia, 7th December 2012

Source: wwww.judiciary.gov.uk

Leveson: Internet needs new privacy laws – BBC News

Posted December 7th, 2012 in freedom of expression, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Laws are needed to prevent ‘mob rule’ on the internet and ‘trial by Twitter’, Lord Justice Leveson has said.”

Full story

BBC News, 7th December 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk