Rebekah Brooks needn’t worry about her right to a fair trial – The Guardian
“Publicity from the phone-hacking inquiry doesn’t necessarily prejudice the cases of those arrested in the scandal.”
The Guardian, 18th March 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Category: public interest
Government must publish NHS risk register, rules tribunal – Daily Telegraph
“The Government has lost its appeal to keep the NHS risk register from being published, days before MPs get their last chance to debate and vote on its controversial health reforms.”
Daily Telegraph, 9th March 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
DPP issues guidance to prosecutors in public protest cases – Crown Prosecution Service
“Keir Starmer QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has today issued Crown Prosecution Service prosecutors with new guidance on dealing with people who may have committed an offence during a protest or demonstration.”
Crown Prosecution Service, 6th March 2012
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
Legal wrangle throws spotlight on food labelling – The Independent
“A landmark legal case revolving around a batch of frozen pigs’ tongues could change the way food use-by dates are enforced in the country. High Court judges ruled earlier last week that a business accused of selling food past its use-by date could counter a prosecution under food labelling laws by showing the product had in fact not needed a use-by date. Consumer experts fear that this interpretation could allow retailers to sell out-of-date food. The matter is being viewed as a test case for use-by dates, and similar cases across the country are being put on hold while it is dealt with.”
The Independent, 26th February 2012
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Caroline Spelman facing six-figure legal bill over bid to stop press printing story about son – Daily Telegraph
“Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman is facing a six-figure legal bill after losing a High Court bid to stop a newspaper publishing a story about her teenage son’s rugby-playing career.”
Daily Telegraph, 24th February 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Disclosure of some details about senior council officials’ interests legitimate, Tribunal rules – OUT-LAW.com
“Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council has been ordered to disclose information relating to the professional interests of senior council members following a ruling by the Information Rights Tribunal.”
OUT-LAW.com, 24th February 2012
Source: www.outlaw.com
Glenn Mulcaire granted evidence appeal – BBC News
“The Supreme Court has ruled it will decide whether private investigator Glenn Mulcaire must reveal which journalists asked him to hack phones.”
BBC News, 15th February 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Guardian journalist wins right to ‘sensitive’ court papers related to Griffin conviction – OUT-LAW.com
“The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must disclose some papers it holds relating to the successful conviction of controversial right-wing politician Nick Griffin for a racial hate crime in the 1990s, an Information Rights Tribunal has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 13th February 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Reporting on celebrities’ private lives can be legitimate, European Court of Human Rights rules – OUT-LAW.com
“The media can legitimately publish articles and photographs about celebrities without their approval providing they have balanced their rights to freedom of expression with the individuals’ privacy rights, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.”
OUT-LAW.com, 8th February 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
Care Quality Commission puts gagging orders on six employees – The Guardian
“A health watchdog with responsibility for protecting NHS whistleblowers has asked at least six employees to sign confidentiality agreements that stop them from criticising the organisation publicly.”
The Guardian, 24th January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Journalists who break law to expose scandals may not be prosecuted, says Justice Secretary – Daily Telegraph
“Journalists who use illegal methods for the ‘greater good’ should not necessarily be prosecuted, Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, said yesterday.”
Daily Telegraph, 17th January 2012
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Babar Ahmad ruling is a victory for freedom of expression – The Guardian
“The justice secretary certainly acted unlawfully in refusing to allow the BBC to interview Babar Ahmad, a British prisoner wanted in the US on terrorism charges, as the high court has found. But once the judgment came out, Ken Clarke showed none of the stubbornness associated with previous prisons ministers, telling the court that he would not be seeking to appeal.”
The Guardian, 12th January 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
BBC wins right to broadcast prisoner interview – BBC News
“The High Court has ruled that Justice Secretary Ken Clarke was wrong to stop the BBC filming a terrorism suspect held for seven years without trial.”
BBC News, 11th January 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Asbos ban Trowbridge pensioners from feeding pigeons – BBC News
“Two pensioners have been given anti-social behaviour orders (Asbos) stopping them feeding pigeons in Trowbridge for five years.”
BBC News, 10th January 2012
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Civil servants fear FoI ruling over private emails and text messages – The Guardian
“Ministers, civil servants and government advisers are bracing themselves for an information commission ruling this week declaring that emails sent within government from private accounts are subject to freedom of information legislation and therefore can be disclosed.”
The Guardian, 13th December 2011
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Journalists should not have extra protection from bribery law, says Justice Secretary – OUT-LAW.com
“The Bribery Act does not need to be changed to protect journalists who pay informants for stories, the Justice Secretary has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 16th November 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Climate change: No right to know effect of new EU rules – UK Human Rights Blog
“The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (‘EIR’) did not require the Department of Energy and Climate Change (‘DECC’) to disclose information concerning the government’s analysis of the potential cost to the UK of strengthened climate change commitments by the EU, the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber, Information Rights) has held.”
UK Human Rights Blog, 16th November 2011
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
Expert says ‘right to be forgotten’ could cause problems for publishers – OUT-LAW.com
“A system where newspaper stories can be ‘locked away’ but not entirely deleted from archives under new data protection law proposals could be used to ensure a balance is struck between privacy and free speech rights, a media law expert has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 10th November 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
Ombudsman will name lawyers and firms ‘in public interest’ – Law Society’s Gazette
“The Legal Ombudsman has taken the highly controversial decision to name lawyers and law firms in circumstances where there is a ‘pattern of complaints’ against them or when it is in the ‘public interest’ to do so.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 7th November 2011
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
Freedom of information scope increased – Ministry of Justice
“The public can now request information from three new bodies under the Freedom of Information Act.”
Ministry of Justice, 1st November 2011
Source: www.justice.gov.uk
