Media law is ever changing and this index will strive to keep you abreast of developments in this complex and important area of journalism.
Our fortnightly column looking at the latest law issues, written by specialist media lawyers from Foot Anstey, also appears here.
A quick-thinking trainee reporter has successfully overturned an order that would have prevented his newspaper from naming a young gang member who had terrorised his neighbourhood. Mike Sherburn, (26), who works for the Eastern Daily Press in its Lowestoft office,
The North West Evening Mail has named a teenage thug who attempted to gag the paper. The 17-year-old boy, who is the subject of an anti-social behaviour order, threatened the newspaper with legal action in a bid to stop his
Moves to end automatic reporting restrictions on young people subject to anti-social behaviour orders have been announced by the Home Secretary, David Blunkett. The proposals form part of the Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper Respect and Responsibility. It would mean newspapers
An evening newspaper has persuaded a court to lift reporting restrictions on a case concerning arms cash deposits by the Middle Eastern state of Qatar. Jersey’s Royal Court has agreed to lift its ban on reporting a case in which
Two newspapers have overturned bans on identifying people involved in crown court proceedings after appealing to the judges involved. The Southern Daily Echo persuaded Judge David Griffiths, sitting in Southampton, that to name a 15-year-old who admitted robbery and grievous
A newspaper law expert has called for a review of the Contempt of Court Act, and suggested a study into the actual impact on jurors of pre-trial publicity surrounding a case. Express Newspapers’ legal advisor Justin Walford said the fault
Newcastle Chronicle and Journal Ltd has agreed to pay substantial undisclosed libel damages to actor Jimmy Nail for comments made by a columnist in the Sunday Sun in May. Gossip columnist Karen Wight also agreed to pay damages after she
The Evening Gazette has lost its bid to name a 14-year-old who terrorised a Middlesbrough estate. The teenager was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order last week, but district judge James Prowse, sitting at Teesside Magistrates Court, banned
Hull Daily Mail sports staff have been banned from Hull City’s football ground by the club chairman.Football writer John Fieldhouse tells what happened when he turned up to report on the latest home game. Hull City chairman Adam Pearson has
A reporter from The Argus, Brighton, successfully challenged a court order banning the publication of defendants’ addresses in a trial. He was spoken to by the Judge in chambers – and argued his case based on past examples. Four men
The Newham Recorder has won the right to name a road accident victim, after a judge banned identification. A schoolgirl was seriously injured when a car being pursued by police crashed into a brick wall in June. A reporter and
The News Shopper has won a bid to publish the names of all six youths served with anti-social behaviour orders in a groundbreaking case. The group, part of the self-styled ‘Slade Green Massive’ forced ordinary, decent families to cower in
The Evening Star, Ipswich, has won the right to identify a teenager who terrorised his neighbours with a torrent of verbal, racial and physical abuse. The 14-year-old boy has been made the subject of a three-year Anti-Social Behaviour Order after
Kentish Express trainee Louise Edwards claimed a victory in court this week by successfully challenging a section 39 order. Louise, (22), who started at the Kent Messenger Group-owned newspaper last December, challenged the order during the case of Rodney White,
A libel action against the Newcastle Evening Chronicle has been settled out of court by two nursery nurses wrongly accused of child abuse in a council report.This is the full statement on the matter by Chronicle editor Paul Robertson. CHRISTOPHER
Magistrates agreed to lift reporting restrictions on naming a persistent young offender after a challenge from Northern Echo trainee reporter Julia Breen. The 17-year-old defendant appeared in court in South Durham after breaching an anti-social behaviour order just five days