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.
The Melton Times has won the right to print the names and pictures of five teenage gang members given anti-social behaviour orders by the courts. Editor Andy Plaice wrote to Leicester Crown Court in advance of their appearance and Judge
An editor has slammed a judge’s decision to allow his newspaper to name a teenage thug – but not publish the boy’s photograph. The Nottingham Evening Post won the right to name a 14-year-old boy who has been made the
The Lancashire Evening Post has slammed magistrates who ruled that the paper could not publish specific details about a boy made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order. The Johnston Press-owned newspaper successfully overturned a court order which would have
The Port Talbot Guardian has won a legal battle to identify a teenager who brought months of misery to residents. He had previously been handed an anti-social behaviour order banning him from the town centre, which he breached. The 16-year-old
Northeast Press has won a landmark ruling to name teenage offenders who appear before youth courts after they have reached the age of 18. The High Court said the test case of teenager David Lee Todd, who was named by
An employment law seminar for newspaper staff is to be hosted by The Newspaper Society next month. Chaired by Northcliffe’s Ken Thompson, the event will include presentations on discrimination law, stress-related absence, employee information and consultation, and the Data Protection
A court move by the Evening Gazette prompted the judge to lift an anonymity order on a 13-year-old hit with an anti-social behaviour order. The Middlesbrough paper reported on the five-year ban from streets around his home – and was
Two 14-year-olds who committed a series of horrific burglaries putting theirvictims in fear of their lives have been named in the Bolton Evening News. Reporter Paul Britton prepared a letter to hand to the Crown Court judge toback up his
Legal action has begun against national newspapers and picture agencies which used an exclusive front page Grimsby Telegraph photo of murdered Luke Walmsley, who was stabbed to death at school. The Telegraph has consulted lawyers and sent letters to the
A newspaper has inadvertently named a rape victim in a court trial report. The error happened in an Epsom Guardian report during the trial of a male nurse accused of raping a patient. The naming occurred in the ninth paragraph
The identity of two teenage sisters who have been terrorising people in Basingstoke have been revealed – thanks to The Basingstoke Gazette. It succeeded in getting magistrates to agree to lift reporting restrictions on the sisters, aged 17 and 15,
A training course to help editors and newspaper executives keep up to date with the law is to take place in London. The programme for November 14 is due to cover the Human Rights Act, libel, contempt of court, the
The Manchester Evening News is writing to Home Secretary David Blunkett after a court refused to consider an application to name a 17-year-old in court for dangerous driving. The youth almost killed a 67-year-old lollipop lady and left a young
A reporter from the Halifax Evening Courier successfully challenged an order banning the naming of a young crime victim – while his former law lecturer looked on. Reporter Leigh Dowd (pictured) challenged a Section 39 order which had been imposed
A teenage thug has been unmasked in the South Wales Evening Post after the paper persuaded a judge to remove reporting restrictions. Recorder Keith Thomas agreed that people had the right to know the identity of the 17-year-old, despite her
The Manchester Evening News has won its court fight to name a teenager whose driving left a boy paralysed and almost killed a lollipop lady. The paper showed Sajid Hussain’s face on its front page after previously pixelating his features