The Media Law Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Media Law Podcast
Tom Bennett (City University), Paul Wragg (School of Law, University of Leeds), Colette Allen and guests discuss topical issues from the world of Media Law.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the summer Media Law headlines. In this episode, Prince Harry and others' privacy case against Associated Newspapers Ltd ends in defeat, while Dale Vince succeeds on appeal in a data protection claim despite a long-standing libel rule that went against him at first instance. Elsewhere, former BBC editor Vincent Kearney succeeds in a claim against MI5 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland over surveillance and attempts to identify his sources.
The Team are joined by Rebecca Moosavian to discuss the new claim brought by Labour MP Jess Asato against Elon Musk's xAI over sexualised deepfake images of her, as well as the ongoing contempt of court proceedings against Rajiv Menon KC, the Court of Appeal decision on the proscription of Palestine Action and the latest iteration of a private member SLAPP Bill.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back to discuss the jury finding against Meta and Google, the UK's first 'SLAPP' judgment, Israel's libel threat against the New York Times and the potentially defamatory coverage of a prize-winning short story. Listen closely for the special guest appearance from Paul's cat.
Tom and Paul discuss the High Court's recent ruling that the Home Secretary's proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful. Also on the agenda are the acquittal of the Filton 6, Reform UK's threats to defund the University of Bangor, and an update from Trump's lawsuit against the BBC in Florida.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the most recent headlines from the world of Media Law, including the BBC's attempt to get Trump's libel suit dismissed, and the collapse of a private prosecution against comedian Reginald D Hunter.
Colette, Tom and Paul round up the Media Law news as we head into the Christmas period. On the agenda: Donald Trump threatens the BBC with a $5bn libel suit, the fallout from former England goalkeeper Mary Earps' memoir, and a discussion of academic freedom following accusations of censorship at Sheffield Hallam University.
under section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 once again, and stakes out a controversial position on the appropriate test for causation.
Colette, Tom and Paul provide commentary on the decisions closing the two separate cases involving rappers Drake and Kneecap's Mo Chara. They also cover the hacking of the third party user verification service used by Discord and the successful appeal against conviction of the Quran burner.
Colette, Judith and the returning Paul discuss the ending of the superinjunction prompted by the Ministry of Defence data leak, the Macrons’ defamation claim, the Coldplay Kiss Cam story, and the recent surge in downloads of VPNs in the UK.
Colette, Tom and Judith rake over the recent Media Law headlines. Rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh of Northern Irish group Kneecap has been charged with expressing support for a proscribed organisation at a gig. Former Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has won €100,000 in libel damages at the High Court in Dublin. The UK government has announced the imminent proscription of direct action protest group Palestine Action. The trio also discuss the privacy issues arising out of the aftermath of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.
Colette and Paul are joined by Dr Richard Jones (Salford) and Dr Judith Townend (Sussex) for a deep dive into Jones’ recent book, "Reporting the Courts" (https://www.routledge.com/Reporting-the-Courts/Jones/p/book/9781032638386). In the book, Jones explores the vital role of court reporting in UK journalism, defending its value amid financial pressures and digital change, making a call to preserve open justice in the face of a local news crisis.
Colette and Tom are joined by Judith Skillen (Nottingham) to talk over the latest Media Law headlines, including Philip Green losing his battle over Parliamentary privilege in the ECtHR, updates from some libel litigation, and the record half-million-pound fine meted out to the University of Sussex by the Office for Students.
Colette, Tom and Paul whip round the latest headlines, including reductions in the sentences for Just Stop Oil protesters and the government dropping action on SLAPPs. Then Tom sits down with Dr Patrick Goold (City Law School) to learn about the compatibility of training generative AI models (such as ChatGPT) on copyrighted material with intellectual property law, and also to talk about the future of the James Bond trademarks.
Tom and Paul talk you through the big stories in Media Law from January 2025, including: the settlement of Prince Harry's claim against News Group Newspapers, the rapidly-escalating dispute between actor Blake Lively and director Justin Baldoni, and Liz Truss's attempt to stop Keir Starmer from talking.
Colette and Tom finish the year with a chat about the latest headlines in Media Law. Tom tries to get his head around the beef between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar, which has recently taken a litigious turn. We also chat about the (possibly temporary) cancellation of "Raygun: The Musical" in Australia, the same jurisdiction's recently-announced social media ban for U16s, and the first UK arrest for non-consensual filming in public.
In this episode, we take a deep dive into the way that criminal courts have used contempt of court offences to restrict defendants in some disruptive protest-related cases from arguing "reasonable excuse" as a defence for their activities. Colette, Tom and Paul are joined by human rights barrister Adam Wagner, of Doughty Street chambers, who lends his expertise to the discussion.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the latest headlines in the world of Media Law. The UK government has proposed anonymity for firearms officers who are charged with criminal offences. Tommy Robinson has been jailed for another contempt of court. Meanwhile, in Australia, a court has recognised a new tort of invasion of privacy.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the Media Law headlines. A judge rejects a media application to lift reporting restrictions in the case of the two boys who murdered Shawn Seesahai. Meanwhile, we discuss what the fake news scandal at the Jewish Chronicle says about press regulation in the UK, and celebrate another successful prediction as the Baby Reindeer libel suit survives a motion to dismiss in the US.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back from the summer break - and what a busy summer it's been! In this podcast, they look back on a summer where the distinction between legitimate protest, extremism, and incitement to violence has been brought to the foreground by events in the UK and abroad.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the lengthy sentences handed out to five Just Stop Oil protestors convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, and what we can tell about the new government's approach to free speech from its early actions.
On the eve of the UK general election, Colette and Tom discuss Julian Assange's plea deal and return to Australia, and Conservative election candidate Laura Saunders' threat to sue the BBC over its Gamblegate reporting. Also, the latest correct litigation prediction from the MLP team!
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the fallout from Netflix's "true story" show, Baby Reindeer. Also up for discussion is the case against Trudi Warner for contempt of court, in which the Solicitor General is pursuing an appeal. Tom talks to Dr Kay Crosby (Newcastle Law School) about the case, and the principle of jury equity.
Colette, Tom and Paul are thrilled to be talking about SLAPPs YET again, and also discuss Scotland's new hate crime law. Also on the agenda are mentions of the Princess of Wales' privacy, and what became of Science Minister Michelle Donelan's legal costs after she libelled two academics.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the latest from the world of Media Law. This week, the UK government's new definition of "extremism" is up for discussion, and we get stuck into several high-profile political libel cases.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the collapse of Donald Trump's data protection claim in the UK, Laurence Fox losing a libel case as both defendant and counter-claimant, and the Director of Public Prosecutions appealing to the Supreme Court in the 'Tory scum' protest case.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over some of the main headlines in Media Law from the first few weeks of 2024. We've got defamation cases at home and abroad, including further fall-out from the PPE contracts scandal, and the latest judgment against Trump in New York. Also, we discuss the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI programmes.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the latest Media Law headlines, including the pressure put on the police by the (now former) Home Secretary over the recent Gaza protest marches, a proposed new law on SLAPPs, and the passing of the Online Safety Act.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back for the start of the new legal term to take you through the summer's headlines.
Colette and Tom round up the big Media Law stories of the summer, focusing on the Court of Appeal upholding a three-year prison sentence for non-violate climate activism, and an emotive Guardian article railing against English libel law.
Colette, Tom and Paul get stuck into the Media Law headlines, with the recent allegations around BBC newsreader Huw Edwards front and centre. The trio discuss the potentially sticky legal situation in which The Sun may now find itself.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the fallout from the House of Commons Privileges Committee report's conclusion that former PM Boris Johnson intentionally or recklessly misled the House, and whether any of Johnson's (or his allies') outbursts might land him in hot water.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss Prince Harry's testimony in his privacy claim against The Mirror for phone hacking, and Australian soldier Ben Roberts-Smith's failed libel claim against Australian news outlets that accused him of war crimes.
Colette, Tom and Paul get stuck into the latest purported attack on press freedom, as well as the arrests of anti-monarchy protesters at the recent coronation of King Charles III. There's also time for a quick word on the 45th US President's latest legal travails.
The team are back to discuss the fall out of the monstrous Fox News settlement with Dominion Voting, as well as the legal implications of chatbot interviews and responses and the recent judgment of Hay v Cresswell.
Colette and Tom pore over the latest headlines in Media Law, including Prince Harry, Elton John and others' privacy case against Associated News. We've also got some potentially libellous tweets to review and thoughts on how to deal with camera phones in theatres, in the light of a recent nude picture scandal.
Colette, Tom and Paul have at the latest headlines in Media Law, including Gary Lineker's (now lifted) suspension at the BBC, and journalist Isabel Oakshott's decision to hand over a cache of Matt Hancock's WhatsApp messages to the Daily Telegraph. There's also news from the Court of Appeal in Banks v Cadwalladr.
Colette and Tom deal with the headlines, including the Supreme Court's decision on nuisance in Fearn v Tate Gallery, and the privacy implications of a new viral TikTok trend.
The usual trio are back with the first Newscast of 2023 - and there is a lot going on! Amongst other things, we've got Human Rights Watch's warning that the UK risks being labelled a rights abuser over its new restrictions on political protest, the fallout from Jeremy Clarkson's now infamous column in The Sun about Meghan Markle, and former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen threatening to sue various people for libel.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the Media Law headlines just in time for Christmas. SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) are back with Conservative MP David Davis opining about a need for libel reform. Also back is the much-discussed Online Safety Bill - we dig into some of the changes in the draft. The recent finding of the ICO that the Met Police had broken the law by filming 10,000 children protesting in London also draws attention.
Tom and Paul are joined by Judith Skillen (Nottingham) and Jeevan Hariharan (Queen Mary) for a fascinating, in-depth discussion of damages awards in the tort of 'misuse of private information'.
As journalists are arrested while covering Just Stop Oil protests, Colette, Tom and Paul discuss what this means for freedom of political speech in the UK today. Also on the agenda are Elon Musk's early days at Twitter, and chess prodigy Hans Niemann's defamation claim against world champion Magnus Carlsen.
Fresh back from an extended summer break, Colette and Tom take you through recent weeks' headlines in Media Law. We've got libels and potential libels galore, the death of the Bill of Rights Bill and the uncertain future of the Online Harms Bill, and we also look in on news from the United States.
In this special interview, Colette talks to senior policy and public affairs officer at the NSPCC, Hannah Ruschen, about the delay to the long-promised Online Safety Bill in the UK, and what this delay means for children's safety online.
Colette, Tom and Paul round up the summer news in Media Law. The "Wagatha Christie" libel trial ends, Laura Murray appeals against the judgment that she libelled Rachel Riley, whilst in the USA, Alex Jones loses the Sandy Hook defamation case. We've also got more on the UK government's war on SLAPPs, and ponder whether a 'random acts of kindness' TikTok video infringed the privacy of an Australian woman.
Tom is joined by fellow City Law School academic Patrick Goold to discuss Patrick's new book, "IP Accidents", in which he makes the case for negligence-based, rather than strict, liability for breach of intellectual property rights. Dr Poorna Mysoor (Cambridge) provides expert discussion on the book.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the latest news in Media Law. In this episode, they rake over journalist Carole Cadwalladr's successful defence in a libel claim brought against her by Brexit backer Arron Banks, and ponder what the Sydney Morning Herald's treatment of Rebel Wilson says about the need for meaningful regulation.
Colette, Tom and Paul dig into the latest Media Law headlines, including Johnny Depp's libel victory over ex-wife Amber Heard in Virginia, former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith's libel trial in Australia drawing to a close, and a debate around anonymity for a limited class of sperm donors.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the close of the "Wagatha Christie" libel case between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy, and the outlook for human rights in the UK after the government pressed ahead with plans to repeal the Human Rights Act in the Queen's Speech. Alex Antoniou (Essex) offers his thoughts on the Advertising Standards Authority banning an Adidas advertisement featuring bare breasts.
Colette, Tom and Paul pick apart the latest Media Law headlines, bringing you their unique perspectives on the news. In this episode, they discuss Elon Musk's bid to purchase Twitter and the implications for the future of speech on the platform, the Daily Mail's coverage of Angela Rayner's legs, journalist Meirion Jones' assertion that libel laws prevented him from exposing Jimmy Savile, Johnny Depp's latest attempt to sue Amber Heard for libel (this time in the USA), and the High Court's decision in the recent case of Underwood v Bounty (on post-natal privacy in hospital).
Tom and Paul are joined by Prof. Gavin Phillipson (Bristol) for a deep dive into the Supreme Court's decision in the privacy case of Bloomberg v ZXC, which concerns the pre-charge privacy rights of criminal suspects.
Tom hosts the Newscast with Paul and Pete providing commentary as we rake over the government's new draft Online Harms Bill and the new offences it proposes to create. Also in the news: the government has a new consultation on yet more defamation reform, journalist Chris Mullin wins a court battle over the right to conceal the identity of his sources, and RT loses its broadcasting licence.
Colette and Tom are joined by Peter Coe (Reading) to dissect the latest headlines, including the Supreme Court's judgment in Bloomberg v ZXC on pre-charge privacy rights for criminal suspects.
Tom and Paul talk to Damian Tambini of the London School of Economics about his new book, 'Media Freedom'.
Colette, Tom and Paul bring you the latest in Media Law-related news. In this edition, they talk about the government's campaign against end-to-end encryption, the freedoms of athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics, chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili's defamation suit against Netflix, and various outlets' premature decision to announce the retirement of the GOAT.
Tom and Paul rake over the recent High Court libel judgment in Riley v Murray, and ponder what it means for the future of polemical Twitter exchanges. On the way they discuss whether the claimant really suffered "serious harm", and whether statements that interpret other statements are necessarily assertions of fact or expressions of opinion.
Colette, Tom and Paul reconvene for the first Newscast of 2022, with a discussion of the Court of Appeal's decision on the lawfulness of the police recording of "non-crime hate incidents" in Miller v College of Policing, an update on the High Court libel case of Riley v Murray, and yet more Twitter bans.
The trio are back with the final Newscast of 2021! Colette hosts as Tom and Paul get exercised by the UK government's consultation on replacing the Human Rights Act. There are also mentions for recent privacy settlements, a potential libel claim from Andrew Neil, and the fate of Julian Assange's latest appeal against extradition.
Colette, Tom and Paul bring you the latest Media Law news, including: Associated Newspapers Ltd's appeal in the Duchess of Sussex privacy case, Lloyd v Google in the Supreme Court, the Home Secretary's apology for a libel against Dr Salman Butt, and a possible forthcoming case on footballers' statistical data.
Colette and Paul are joined by Judith Townend (University of Sussex) for a discussion on the subject of Open Justice.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back for the new academic year! In this edition of Newscast, we catch up on major stories from the summer, including the Australian High Court's decision on the liability of companies for defamatory comments posted by users on their social media pages, the Nirvana "Nevermind" album cover case in the US, and the Danish artist who just took the money and ran (literally). Alex Antoniou (Essex) guests.
Tom and Paul discuss defamation cases - picking out those they think are the most significant and the most under-appreciated of all time, plus their personal favourites.
So much news this week... We've got the High Court's judgment in Lachaux, an damning All Party Parliamentary Group report into the policing of protests in Clapham and Bristol, and of course the reports of Matt Hancock's extra-curricular activities, amongst other things! Colette, Tom and Paul try to make sense of it all.
Colette, Tom and Paul dive into recent media law headlines, including the judgment in Big Brother Watch v UK on the unlawfulness of GCHQ's mass surveillance of UK citizens, the long-awaited report into Daniel Morgan's murder, and Rupert Murdoch's efforts to persuade the UK government to remove The Times' legal guarantees of editorial independence.
Colette, Tom and Paul bring you the most recent Media Law headlines, including various measures in the Queen's Speech that will impact on freedom of expression, and some discussion of the ongoing libel litigation in Riley v Murray.
Tom Bennett (City) and Paul Wragg (Leeds) discuss which recent UK privacy cases are the most important, which are under-appreciated, and which are their personal favourites.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back with a look at the recent headlines in Media Law, including the outcome of Jeremy Corbyn's appeal against a preliminary ruling that a statement he made on a BBC interview was defamatory of Richard Millett at common law, and the sentences meted out to pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong.
Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the "Kill the Bill" protests in Bristol, Ash Sarkar's libel victory over Julie Burchill, and former Trump attorney Sidney Powell's unusual defence to voting machine company Dominion's defamation suit in the US.
Colette, Tom and Paul are joined by Prof David Mead (UEA) to discuss the controversial Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill currently making its way through Parliament, and its potential impact on the right to protest.
Colette, Paul and Tom rake over the High Court's decision to order the Mail on Sunday to print a statement acknowledging the Duchess of Sussex's litigation victory, and some other headlines including the government's plans for a free speech tsar, recent ISP blocking orders, and more litigation around the leaked Labour Party report into anti-Semitism.
Colette hosts as Tom, Paul and Dr Katharine Kemp (UNSW) discuss the fallout from Facebook's temporary news blackout in Australia, and what the incident tells us about the power of big social media corporations.
Tom and Paul are joined by Dr Eleni Frantziou (Durham) to discuss the surveillance of employees in their homes by their employers, as they work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the latest media law headlines. This episode includes: the Duchess of Sussex's summary judgment victory in her privacy case, and Rachel Riley succeeding in getting the defence struck out in her libel claim. There's also time to get stuck into yet another allegation of 'cancel culture'.
Colette Allen chairs a discussion about UK law enforcement authorities' association of "drill" music with gang violence, what motivates this association and what it means for the artists who find themselves prohibited from making and performing their music. With Dr Lambros Fatsis (Brighton), Tom Bennett (City) and Paul Wragg (Leeds).
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the Media Law headlines. On the order paper are MPs blocking constituents on Twitter, the potential liability in defamation for viral memes, and Whatsapp's recent PR disaster with its new terms and conditions.
As Twitter and Facebook suspend President Trump's accounts in the wake of the deadly riots at the US Capitol, Colette, Paul and Tom discuss whether this amounts to too little, too late.
Colette, Tom and Paul are back together and it's all kicking off in the final Newscast of 2020! We've got suspensions at Labour and the Tate, OFCOM's proposals to regulate streaming services, the Depp appeal, and an update from the Vardy v Rooney libel case.
Tom and Paul are joined by Prof. Nicole Moreham (Victoria University of Wellington) to discuss recent cases on the privacy rights of criminal suspects at the pre-charge stage, and whether, by protecting these rights, the law of privacy is encroaching into space that should be left to the law of defamation.
Colette and Tom discuss the fallout from Johnny Depp's failed libel claim as the High Court rules Depp is a wife-beater. Tom also talks to Alexandros Antoniou (Essex) about a potential future libel claim between Drag Race UK star Crystal and the actor Laurence Fox.
Tom and Paul talk about the granting of charitable status to the Public Interest News Foundation with its founder, Jonathan Heawood, and explore what public interest journalism means today.
Colette, Tom and Paul unpack the issues of: some newly banned teaching materials, employee surveillance at home, updates from the Markle and Vardy cases, and the case of Enola Holmes and the Curious Copyright Claim.
Tom, Paul and Colette are back from the academic summer "break"! In this episode, they discuss some of the summer's bigger Media Law stories, including Extinction Rebellion's blockade of newspaper presses and the ongoing extradition case of Julian Assange.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the Harper's "cancel culture" letter, and discuss other news in the Media Law world, including the ongoing Johnny Depp libel case.
Colette, Tom and Paul rake over recent news in the world of media law, including: police attacks on US journalists, the Supreme Court's ruling on s.4 Defamation Act in the Serafin case, and UK Attorney-General Suella Braverman's tweet in defence of Dominic Cummings. Colette is then joined for a special interview by Prof. Nicholas Allard, former Dean of Brooklyn Law School, about President Donald Trump's war on Twitter.
Tom and Paul are joined by RonNell Andersen Jones (U. of Utah) to discuss the 'marketplace of ideas' theory of free speech. Can it survive in a post-truth world?
Colette, Tom and Paul link up for a bumper dose of Media Law headlines, including the privacy implications of the UK government's new contact-tracing app, the legal action potentially facing the Labour party over its most recent leaked report, and a word on the latest High Court wranglings in the Markle v. Mail saga.
Tom Bennett is joined by Peter Coe (Reading) and Holly Powell-Jones (City) to discuss the rise of COVID-related misinformation on social media, and what - if anything - the law can do about it. There's also time for a quick word about how university teaching has changed during the pandemic.
Colette and Tom are back with an extended Newscast dealing with all things Coronavirus. They look at the new Act of Parliament which extends provisions for remote court hearings, discuss the privacy implications of a proposed contact-tracing app, and ponder the legality of Derbyshire police's use of a drone to shame dog-walkers in the Peak District.
In this episode, Tom Bennett and Paul Wragg are joined by Prof. Brian Cathcart (Kingston), founding member of Hacked Off, to discuss the future of media regulation in the UK, in the wake of Caroline Flack’s death. Has the time come for compulsory press regulation?
Colette Allen discusses the Met's roll-out of facial recognition technology and John Ware's libel claim against the Labour party with Tom Bennett, and then chats to Paul Wragg about whether s.40 of the Crime and Courts Act really is a threat to press freedom.
Tom Bennett and Paul Wragg dissect Associated Newspapers Ltd's defence to Meghan Markle's High Court privacy claim. Tom also chats to Canadian legal scholar Hilary Young (University of New Brunswick) about the prospects of the seclusion-seeking royals successfully protecting their privacy in Canada.
Tom chairs a debate between David Acheson (Kent) and Peter Coe (Reading) about companies' rights to reputation. Should companies be able to sue in defamation? What is the basis for their rights? And does the Defamation Act 2013 succeed in striking the right balance between them and freedom of expression?
Colette and Tom discuss the latest election shenanigans, including the OFCOM decision on ice-sculpture-gate and Facebook's response to political adverts distorting BBC news clips. Colette also interviews cave-diving hero Vernon Unsworth's lawyer, Mark Stephens, about his libel claim against Elon Musk in California.
The Media Law Podcast and the Bang To Rights podcast team up for a special crossover episode! MLP host Tom Bennett and Bang To Rights regulars Pete Murray and Eleanor Shember-Critchley discuss the UK election from legal and journalistic perspectives. There's also a word on the protests in Hong Kong, and their implications for journalists covering them.
Colette and Tom hone in on the week's news, with anonymity for defendants in a high-profile murder case and Prince Andrew's Newsnight interview on the agenda. Alongside this, they discuss various election-related legal matters.
Tom talks to Emma Nottingham (University of Winchester) about her research into sharenting and its effect on today's children. They consider what this practice means for children's privacy, how harmful it is, and what needs to change if we are to address it adequately.
Colette and Tom dissect the week's Media Law news, looking at Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy's Instagram-based ructions, the Daily Mail's publication of leaked private pictures of US Congresswoman Katie Hill, and the broadcasting rules coming into play this election season.
Colette Allen is joined by Paul Wragg to discuss the BBC/Naga Munchetty racism row, and by Boston-based IP lawyer Deborah Peckham for a discussion of the copyright implications of a certain phrase in US singer-songwriter Lizzo's track, Truth Hurts.
Colette Allen joins the team and anchors the new Newscast edition of the MLP. Tom Bennett and Alexandros Antoniou offer their opinions on the headlines.
Tom and Paul are joined by Rebecca Moosavian and Peter Coe for a chat about The Sun's reporting of tragedy in Ben Stokes' family history. Tom and Paul also discuss Jacob Rees-Mogg MP's use of Parliamentary privilege to verbally attack Dr David Nicholl without attracting liability. For the procedural geeks in the room, there's also mention of the new CPR Part 53.
Tom and Paul finish the 2018-19 academic year with a discussion of recent events including the Lachaux case in the Supreme Court and the privacy implications of recording Boris Johnson.
In Episode 6, Tom and Paul are joined by scholars from the US, Canada and South Africa to get a range of international perspectives on the public interest defence under the UK’s Defamation Act 2013. There’s also time for Tom and Paul to argue about the Supreme Court’s recent decision about the “meaning” of an allegedly libellous Facebook post in Stocker v Stocker, and to mention the government’s white paper on internet regulation. Features Russell Weaver (University of Louisville, Kentucky), Dario Milo (University of the Witwatersrand) and David Mangan (Maynooth University).
Episode 5 focuses on social media. Tom talks to Dr Holly Powell-Jones (City University) about her research into children’s understanding of the law on social media usage. Then Paul and Prof. Daithí Mac Síthigh (Queen’s University Belfast) dial in for a chat about the recent DCMS report into ‘Disinformation and Fake News’.
Tom Bennett (City University) and Paul Wragg (Leeds University) discuss the potential fallout from the tabloid press' coverage of the Gatwick Drone fiasco, and Tom talks to David Rolph (University of Sydney) about the Court of Appeal's recent decision in Economou v de Freitas, on the public interest defence in defamation.
In episode 3, Tom and Paul are joined by Colin Murray (Newcastle University) to discuss Lord Hain’s use of parliamentary privilege to break a so-called “non-disclosure agreement” between a high-profile businessman and a former employee, and the reporting of this incident in the media. They also take a look at the issues in the defamation case of Lachaux v Independent Print, which was heard by the Supreme Court in mid-November.
In episode 2, Tom and Paul debate the “harm” element in English privacy law, have an argument about the case of Cliff Richard v BBC, and review Mark Tushnet’s new book on Freedom of Expression.
Tom Bennett (City University) is joined by Paul Wragg (Leeds University) and Helen Belcher (Trans Media Watch) to discuss the portrayal of minority groups in the mainstream media, and the difficulties posed for individuals from minority groups in making use of current regulatory mechanisms. There's also a round-up of news from the world of Media Law!