Current Awareness

“A police force that lost track of eight sex offenders has been criticised by senior child protection figures for refusing to release their names and pictures.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 28th February 2008

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Crawford v Director of Public Prosecutions in the Queen’s Bench Divisional Court

Queen’s Bench Divisional Court

“Courts should take great care when imposing orders restricting the reporting of criminal proceedings.”

The Times, 20th February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

In re Trinity Mirror plc and Others

Court of Appeal

“The crown court had no jurisdiction to grant an injunction to restrain the publication of the name of a defendant or the nature of his convictions on the basis that his children would be harmed since such an order was not incidental to the defendant’s trial, conviction and sentence.”

The Times, 13th February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

“An eminent barrister and judge whose conviction for harassing his ex-wife and her new partner was kept secret by a gagging order can be named, the High Court ruled yesterday.”

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The Times, 9th February 2008
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

In re Trinity Mirror plc and others [2008] EWCA Crim 50; [2008] WLR (D) 27

“There was no jurisdiction under s 45(4)of the Supreme Court Act 1981 to grant an injunction to restrain the publication of the name of a defendant or the nature of his convictions on the basis that such identification would harm the defendant’s children, who were neither witnesses in the proceedings nor victims of his offences, since such an order was not incidental to the defendant’s trial, conviction and sentence.”

WLR Daily, 5th February 2008

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

“A barrister convicted of a criminal offence has won a gagging order preventing him from being identified in the press in order to protect his children.”

Full story

The Times, 4th February 2008

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

“The latest rape allegation to attract intense publicity has raised again the question of whether accused men should be granted the same anonymity as their accuser, until convicted.”

Full story

The Times,  20th December 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

“A bail hearing this week involving one of two men alleged to be involved in a gay sex-and-drugs blackmail plot will be held in private — against the principle of open justice in the courts.”

Full story

The Times, 30th October 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

“Disgruntled fans of Sheffield Wednesday who vented their dissatisfaction with the football club’s bigwigs in anonymous internet postings may face expensive libel claims after the chairman, chief executive and five directors won a high-court ruling last week forcing the owner of a website to reveal their identity.”

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The Guardian, 22nd October 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

“A five-judge panel in the Court of Appeal is to be asked to decide whether a man who admitted 20 charges of making and possessing indecent pictures of children should have his identity protected because his two daughters might be harassed or bullied at school.”

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The Guardian, 15th October 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

“Witnesses to gun crime should be given a guarantee they will not be identified in court, police chiefs say.”

Full story

BBC News, 6th September 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

In re Officer L and others

“On an application by potential witnesses for anonymity a tribunal of inquiry had posed the correct test, under art 2 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, of whether a pre-existing risk of death would be materially increased if the witnesses were required to give evidence without anonymity.”

WLR Daily, 1st August 2007

Source: www.lawreports.co.uk

Please note: once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.

When tribunal witness requests anonymity

In re Officer L and Others

House of Lords

“On an application by potential witnesses for anonymity at a public inquiry, the appropriate test was whether a preexisting risk of death to the witness would be materially increased if he were required to give evidence without anonymity.”

The Times, 1st August 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Sultan has no special claim to anonymity

Aziz v. Aziz and Others, Sultan of Brunei intervening

Court of Appeal 

“The head of a foreign state had no right to anonymity in judgments in court proceedings brought by his former wife against certain defendants.”

The Times, 17th July 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk  

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

“It is one of the most extraordinary court dramas of recent times, involving the Sultan of Brunei’s former wife, a fortune teller and a £2m gift to a man who may never have existed. But until yesterday, when three judges at the Court of Appeal ruled against the Sultan of Brunei’s right to anonymity in the case, its bizarre details had not been connected to him.”

Full story

The Independent, 12th July 2007

Source: www.independent.co.uk

“New voting legislation is set to come into effect which will allow victims of stalking and domestic violence to keep their names off the electoral roll.”

Full story

BBC News, 1st June 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

“Teachers accused of abuse of pupils should be guaranteed anonymity while the allegations are investigated, the Lord Chancellor said yesterday.”

Full story

The Times, 7th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

“Five witnesses at the Billy Wright murder inquiry have won a legal battle for anonymity.” 

Full story

BBC News, 26th April 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk