Judge ‘misled court in case against paedophile teacher’ – Daily telegraph

‘A judge has been accused of misleading a court and denying justice to victims of a paedophile headmaster.’

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Daily Telegraph, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Top judge attacks growing ‘abuse’ of parliamentary privilege – The Guardian

‘The lord chief justice has accused MPs and peers of endangering the rule of law through repeated “abuse” of parliamentary privilege to name individuals granted anonymity in court cases.’

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The Guardian, 9th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog dismisses Sir Philip Green complaint against Peter Hain – The Guardian

‘The House of Lords standards watchdog has dismissed a complaint against the former Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain for using parliamentary privilege to name the Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green as the businessman at the centre of harassment allegations.’

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The Guardian, 8th April 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Philip Green ends ‘gagging order’ legal action against Telegraph – The Guardian

‘Sir Philip Green and his business empire, Arcadia, have ended their legal claim against the Telegraph after the newspaper reported allegations of sexual and racial harassment against him.’

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The Guardian, 28th January 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Sir Philip Green: Injunctions, Non-Disclosure Agreements and Parliamentary Privilege – Rights Info

‘In October, Sir Philip Green was revealed in Parliament as the businessman at the heart of ‘Britain’s #MeToo scandal’. The revelation sparked an intense debate about injunctions, non-disclosure agreements, parliamentary privilege and the relationship between Parliament and the courts. But what does all mean? In this explainer we get to the bottom of it.’

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Rights Info, 17th December 2018

Source: rightsinfo.org

Victims of gagging clauses to get a voice as Parliament launches inquiry in wake of Sir Philip Green scandal – Daily Telegraph

‘Victims forced to sign gagging clauses could be given a voice as Parliament today launches a new inquiry into the use of non-disclosure agreements following the scandal surrounding Sir Philip Green.’

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Daily Telegraph, 13th November 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Robert Craig: The Peter Hain Case: The Effect of Article IX – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Peter Hain’s decision to breach an interim injunction granted by the Court of Appeal in the case of ABC v Telegraph Media Group has caused serious concern. It is one of the cardinal rules in Parliament that members should not interfere in ongoing legal proceedings and Hain did not wait until the end of the proceedings before breaching this injunction, even though the case had been scheduled for an early full hearing. He does not appear even to have read the court judgment he saw fit to overrule, effectively.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 31st October 2018

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

Philip Green and non-disclosure agreements: do we have a right to know? – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The circumstances in which a court should prevent the press from reporting information about famous people has long provoked debate. The decision of the Court of Appeal in ABC & Ors v Telegraph Media Group Ltd [2018] EWCA Civ 2329 is no exception, attracting extensive press coverage and comment from the #MeToo movement.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 30th October 2018

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Why the judges got it wrong in granting Philip Green an injunction – The Guardian

‘The court of appeal failed to see the case from the point of view of victims of sexual harassment.’

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The Guardian, 27th October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Labour peer Peter Hain defends decision to expose Philip Green as businessman accused of sexual harassment – The Independent

‘Peter Hain has defended his decision to use parliamentary privilege to name Sir Philip Green as the businessman at the centre of a row over allegations of sexual harassment and racial abuse.’

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The Independent, 26th October 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

MPs who use parliamentary privilege to break court orders undermine the judiciary, says Lord Chief Justice – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 11th, 2018 in injunctions, judges, judiciary, news, parliament, parliamentary privilege by tracey

‘MPs who “abuse” parliamentary privilege to break injunctions are eroding confidence in the justice system, the Lord Chief Justice has said. Lord Burnett of Maldon, the head of the judiciary, warned that the phenomenon was part of the “gentle erosion of support” for the courts.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th September 2018

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Hanningfield acquitted of expenses fraud after parliament intervenes with court – The Guardian

‘Former Tory peer accused of submitting false expenses has been formally acquitted after parliament made an unexpected intervention in the case. Lord Hanningfield, who served a jail sentence for expenses fraud in 2011, was accused in Southwark crown court of claiming around £3,300 in House of Lords allowances in July 2013 to which he was not entitled.’

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The Guardian, 18th July 2016

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

‘Should Vote Leave be prosecuted over its referendum propaganda?’ – Church Court Chambers

‘On 23 June 2016 over 33 million people voted in the EU referendum. Since that date there has been widespread anger from those who believe that the organisation ‘Vote Leave’ misled members of the public. Vote Leave is said to have done so by promoting two claims. First, that the UK sends £350 million to the European Union every week and this money would be spent on the National Health Service if the UK voted to leave the European Union. Second, that remaining in the European Union would lead to unrestricted immigration.’

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Church Court Chambers, 7th July 2016

Source: www.churchcourtchambers.co.uk

Mike Ashley: Could Sports Direct boss be jailed in Big Ben? – BBC News

‘Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley has been warned he could be in contempt of Parliament if he continues to refuse to appear in front of a committee of MPs. It sounds serious – but what could actually happen to him?’

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BBC News, 16th March 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Tom Watson to issue written apology to Leon Brittan’s widow – The Guardian

Posted November 20th, 2015 in news, parliamentary privilege, select committees, sexual offences by tracey

‘Tom Watson has said he will write to the widow of Leon Brittan to apologise directly after he was criticised by MPs for repeating a claim that he was “as close to evil as any human could get” in connection with sex abuse allegations against the Conservative peer.’

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The Guardian, 20th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Alexander Horne: Evidence under oath, perjury and parliamentary privilege – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The issue of select committee powers has received renewed interest during the 2010-15 Parliament, culminating in a report from Liaison Committee on Select committee effectiveness, resources and powers (in October 2012); and, subsequently, a report by the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege in July 2013 (and a Government response later that year).’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 29th January 2015

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

European court rejects Geoff Hoon’s human rights complaint – BBC News

Posted December 5th, 2014 in human rights, lobbying, news, parliamentary privilege by sally

‘A parliamentary investigation into the conduct of the former Labour MP Geoff Hoon was justified, according to the European Court of Human Rights.’

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BBC News, 4th December 2014

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Phone hacking trial: a lesson for future high profile cases – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted June 27th, 2014 in interception, news, parliamentary privilege, sub judice by tracey

‘David Cameron has been rebuked by Mr Justice Saunders for comments made about Andy Coulson whilst the jury in the “phone hacking” case were still in deliberation over two remaining charges. Cameron apologised to the House of Commons in “full and frank” terms for hiring Coulson in 2007, who he said had given false assurances about his involvement in phone hacking.’

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 26th June 2014

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

Alexander Horne and Oonagh Gay: Ending the Hamilton Affair? – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1689 has been the subject of a variety of legal challenges. The Article, which provides (in modern parlance) that: “the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament” is usually considered to be a fundamental feature of the constitution and a cornerstone of parliamentary privilege.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 21st May 2014

Source: www.ukconstitutionallaw.org

The Not Entirely Secret Diary of Mr Lansley – Panopticon

‘What considerations are relevant when deciding whether a Ministerial diary should be disclosed under FOIA? The decision of the First-tier Tribunal in Department of Health v Information Commissioner EA/2013/0087 is, perhaps surprisingly, the first Tribunal decision to address this issue. The judgment engages with a number of difficult issues: the Tribunal’s approach to Government evidence, the value of cross-examination in Tribunal hearings, aggregation of public interests under FOIA, and Parliamentary privilege. Hence it is of general importance, going beyond the intrinsic interest of its specific subject matter.’

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Panopticon, 18th March 2014

Source: www.panopticonblog.com