Blog
Acclaim for Martha’s Rule - but when will maternity services be included?
Kirsty Allen
26 February 2019
Victims of blackmail: will your identity be protected?
For those who find themselves the unfortunate victims of blackmail, often in cases which concern sexually explicit information (‘sextortion’), the choice of how to respond can be extraordinarily difficult. As discussed in our earlier blog, one of the possible responses is to report the matter to the police, which may then result in a subsequent prosecution of the blackmailer.
21 February 2019
Was the Cliff Richard judgment really a blow to press freedom? The “Drone Couple” would likely disagree
The Cliff Richard privacy judgment was thought to be a landmark case when it comes to press reporting of a police investigation. Headlines following the judgment included “The Cliff Richard judgment is a chilling blow to press freedom” and “Cliff Richard privacy judgment threatens press freedom”. Whilst the result was a positive end to a terrible experience for Cliff Richard, has it really changed how the press report allegations? In this blog, we explore whether the ruling is taken into account when reporting on other types of investigations.
21 February 2019
Be warned - you can be held liable for the defamatory comments of another!
In the recent High Court judgment of Monir v Wood [2018], the Court held the Defendant liable for a defamatory tweet, even though he did not post or have knowledge of the tweet at the time. The Defendant was also held liable for failing to remove the defamatory material once it was brought to his attention.
5 February 2018
Policing the internet – "fake news" and social media offence update
Fake news has dominated the headlines since the Trump presidency began both in the USA and across the globe. High profile individuals and politicians regularly defend allegations by complaining about inaccurate digital and hardcopy print. However, individual members of the public are also suffering at the hands of social media more and more. In response to the rise in online offending, the CPS published Guidelines on social media offences at the end of 2016.
14 July 2016
Decline of the English Sex Scandal – why you can never get a good sex scandal these days (with apologies to George Orwell)
It is a Sunday afternoon –you put your feet up on the sofa and open the Sun on Sunday.What is it that you want to read about? Naturally - about a sex scandal. But what kind?