Transcript of the Lord Chief Justice’s Annual Press Conference 2012 – Judiciary of England and Wales

“The Lord Chief Justice held his annual press conference on Thursday 27th September 2012 at the Royal Courts of Justice.”

Full transcript

Judiciary of England and Wales, 27th September 2012

Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk

Phone-hacking claimants drop demand for exemplary damages – The Guardian

Posted September 27th, 2012 in compensation, criminal procedure, damages, interception, media, news by sally

“Lawyers acting for more than 170 alleged phone-hacking victims, including Cherie Blair and Wayne Rooney, have dropped their claim for exemplary damages, the high court has been told, as News International accused them of seeking ‘windfall’ payouts.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Court privacy ruling on divorce – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 26th, 2012 in divorce, family courts, freedom of expression, human rights, media, news, privacy by sally

“Divorcing couples have been given reassurance that their private financial affairs will remain confidential even when the media attend court, following a recent judgment from the family court.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 26th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Did the Queen breach a convention by lobbying over Abu Hamza? – The Guardian

Posted September 26th, 2012 in extradition, lobbying, media, news, royal family by sally

“The BBC has apologised for breaking the convention that private conversations with the Queen are kept off the record, but did the monarch break a convention herself? The news that the Queen had lobbied then-home secretary over Abu Hamza al-Masri was described by James Naughtie as ‘a corker’ but led us to wonder whether her intervention raised any constitutional issues.”

Full story

The Guardian, 25th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Government admits secret courts would protect it from bad publicity – The Guardian

Posted September 25th, 2012 in bills, closed material, media, news, private hearings by sally

“The government has admitted that a key motive for its plan to expand secret courts is to shield itself politically from charges that Britain has been complicit in the abuse of detainees abroad.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge imposes reporting restrictions in Dale Cregan case – The Guardian

Posted September 25th, 2012 in bias, contempt of court, media, murder, news, police, public interest, reporting restrictions by sally

“Court makes order postponing reports under section 4(2) of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 due to ‘very real risk of prejudice’.”

Full story

The Guardian, 24th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judge issues warning over Dale Cregan trial – The Independent

Posted September 24th, 2012 in bias, contempt of court, media, murder, news, police, trials by sally

“A senior judge has issued a warning to police, press and politicians as alleged killer Dale Cregan appeared for the first time at Crown Court.”

Full story

The Independent, 24th September 2012

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Police shootings prove contempt laws are not fit for purpose – The Guardian

Posted September 21st, 2012 in contempt of court, firearms, media, news, police, privilege by sally

“Watching the press conference by Greater Manchester Police, I was not the only journalist to remark that it looked and sounded more like one held by police in the USA where contempt laws hold no sway in the run-up to a trial. Here, as soon as someone is arrested, no one should publish anything which might cause a substantial risk of serious prejudice or serious impediment to the proceedings that might take place.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DPP statement on Tom Daley case and social media prosecutions – Crown Prosecution Service

“Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, has said:

‘On 30 July 2012 Daniel Thomas, a semi-professional footballer, posted a homophobic message on the social networking site, Twitter. This related to the Olympic divers Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield. This became available to his ‘followers’. Someone else distributed it more widely and it made its way into some media outlets. Mr Thomas was arrested and interviewed. The matter was then referred to CPS Wales to consider whether Mr Thomas should be charged with a criminal offence.'”

Full story

Crown Prosecutions Service, 20th September 2012

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

Sky is a fit and proper broadcaster, rules Ofcom – The Guardian

Posted September 20th, 2012 in interception, licensing, media, news, ombudsmen, professional conduct by sally

“The media regulator Ofcom has found that BSkyB remains a ‘fit and proper’ owner of a broadcast licence despite the phone-hacking affair which embroiled its parent company and during which, it said, James Murdoch’s conduct repeatedly fell short of the standard to be expected.”

Full story

The Guardian, 20th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Neil Kinnock takes legal action as new phone-hacking claims reach 174 – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2012 in interception, media, news, telecommunications by sally

“News International is now facing almost 200 fresh phone-hacking claims with legal action now confirmed from individuals including the former Labour party leader Neil Kinnock, former cabinet minister Stephen Byers and Louise Woodward, the former nanny jailed in the US for killing a baby.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kate photos row shows just how difficult it is to enforce a privacy law – The Guardian

Posted September 18th, 2012 in consent, media, news, privacy by sally

“As Britain’s tabloids close ranks in condemning the publication of pictures of a sunbathing Duchess of Cambridge, it is tempting to conclude that a fear of Leveson lies behind the outbreak of criticism. But in truth anybody who has followed the history of celebrity holiday pictures will know the tabloids are far more cautious than they used to be, after a series of PR disasters and adverse legal rulings have forced privacy issues up the agenda.”

Full story

The Guardian, 17th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

DPP launches final guidelines for prosecutors on cases affecting the media following public consultation – Crown Prosecution Service

Posted September 17th, 2012 in media, news, prosecutions, public interest by sally

“Following a public consultation, Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has today published final guidelines on the approach prosecutors should take when assessing the public interest in cases affecting the media.”

Full story

Crown Prosecution Service, 13th September 2012

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

CPS publishes advice on prosecuting journalists over illicit newsgathering – The Guardian

Posted September 14th, 2012 in freedom of expression, media, news, prosecutions, public interest by sally

“The Crown Prosecution Service has published its final guidelines on the prosecution of journalists over illicit newsgathering methods, with so-called ‘fishing expeditions’ to face closer scrutiny.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh sues News International and the Sun – The Guardian

Posted September 11th, 2012 in damages, handling stolen goods, media, news, privacy, telecommunications, theft by sally

“Siobhain McDonagh, a Labour MP, has launched a legal action against News International and the Sun in relation to the theft of her mobile phone and is seeking damages for alleged invasion of privacy and breach of confidence.”

Full story

The Guardian, 10th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog rejects Prince Harry photo inquiry – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 7th, 2012 in media, news, privacy, royal family by sally

“The press watchdog announced that it would not be ‘appropriate’ to investigate The Sun’s publication of photographs of a naked Prince Harry because it could breach his privacy.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 6th September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Calm in a crisis: lawyers and the internet age – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted September 6th, 2012 in internet, law firms, legal profession, media, news by sally

“There are events in the life-cycle of any business that have the potential to snowball into a crisis of unforeseen proportions. It could be a bad set of financial results or a scuppered merger. Or perhaps employee lay-offs, a high-profile desertion to a rival or allegations of misconduct by senior staff. Or it might be a testing issue with a client. But while difficult business decisions may not be avoidable, especially in this tough economic climate, a crisis played out in the media can be managed or averted by taking the right steps.”

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 6th September 2012

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Sun had public interest in publishing Steve McClaren affair story, says judge – The Guardian

Posted September 6th, 2012 in injunctions, media, news, privacy, public interest by sally

“A high court judge has outlined his reasons for rejecting a privacy injunction sought by former England manager Steve McClaren against the Sun over an extramarital affair.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Phone-hacking investigations and prosecutions ‘could take three years’ – The Guardian

Posted September 4th, 2012 in interception, media, news, police, telecommunications, trials by sally

“Senior Scotland Yard officer Stephen Kavanagh is to take over Sue Akers’s role overseeing the investigations into phone hacking and other alleged illegal activities by journalists, with the police budgeting for the process to last another three years and cost about £40m.”

Full story

The Guardian, 4th September 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Telegraph defends royal hairdresser libel case via Early Resolution scheme – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 4th, 2012 in arbitration, defamation, media, news by sally

“The Daily Telegraph has successfully defended a libel action over an article about the Duchess of Cambridge’s hair, which was heard by an independent arbitrator rather than a high court judge.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 3rd September 2012

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk