Media Law: Recent Work

Muslim Council of Britain spokesman, Inayat Bunglawala, has won his libel case against the Mail on Sunday. The newspaper published a full and prominent apology to Mr Bunglawala in the Mail on Sunday and on its website and agreed to pay him substantial damages for libel together with his legal costs.

The BBC has apologised to Trafigura over false allegations broadcast by Newsnight in May 2009. As well as apologising and withdrawing the allegations, the BBC has agreed to pay substantial damages (which will go to a charity nominated by Trafigura) as well as Trafigura's reasonable legal costs.

Derek Simpson, the Joint General Secretary of Unite (the UK's largest trade union), has won his libel claim over false allegations concerning his election that appeared in the News of the World.
An apology has already been published and the newspaper has agreed to pay a substantial sum in damages and costs.
The newspaper has also apologised in court to Mr Simpson.

The Sun has published an apology to the Chairman of the Premier League, Sir Dave Richards,  in respect of allegations contained in a series of articles about Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover of Portsmouth Football Club.  The Sun made clear that, contrary to suggestions in their reports, Sir Dave did not help introduce the parties or to put the deal together and was not subjected to any "probe" by the Premier League in relation to the takeover.

The model Matt Peacock has settled his libel case against the Sunday Mirror, brought over publication of a false allegation concerning his ex-wife. The newspaper agreed to pay Mr Peacock substantial damages.

The Guardian has published an apology to the boxing commentator Steve Bunce, for false allegations it published in relation to the website www.bringbackbunce.net.  The Guardian has also agreed to pay Mr Bunce substantial damages and his legal costs.

News Group Newspapers, the publisher of the Sun, has apologised in the High Court to former Cabinet Office Minister, Tom Watson MP.  The Sun alleged in April 2009 that Mr Watson had been a party to the Damian McBride and Derek Draper plot to smear the Conservatives and that Mr Watson had lied when he denied his involvement.  The Sun has now accepted these allegations were entirely untrue and has agreed to pay substantial damages to Mr Watson.

The Guardian has published an apology and is paying damages to Liam Gallagher for falsely alleging that he stormed out in the middle of the Oasis iTunes concert at the Roundhouse on 21 July and did not return.  As the Guardian now accepts, Mr Gallagher only briefly left the stage whilst his brother sang two songs, as is normal during their performance.  Mr Gallagher has decided to donate the damages to charity.

The Daily Mail has apologised and paid substantial damages to two Buddhist monks, William Van Gordon and Edo Shonin over an article published in the newspaper and on its website on 25 May 2007 in which it was falsely alleged that Mr Van Gordon had been brainwashed by Edo Shonin and in which they were falsely accused of running a cult.

The BBC and the Metro have both agreed to publish full apologies to Liam Gallagher for falsely alleging that he stormed off stage for half an hour during the Oasis iTunes concert at the Roundhouse on 21 July.   As the BBC and Metro now accept, Mr Gallagher only briefly left the stage whilst his brother sang two songs as is normal during their performance.  Both the BBC and Metro have agreed to pay Mr Gallagher's legal costs.

Nadhmi Auchi, the businessman and philanthropist, has successfully settled his claims for defamation against the publishers of The Washington Times and Elaph, the latter being a London-based Arabic online newspaper. As well as paying substantial damages, Elaph has removed the defamatory article from its website and published a prominent apology to Mr Auchi. The Washington Times has also removed the article complained of from its website, undertaken not to republish it and issued a letter requesting that any third party re-publishing all or part of its article should stop doing so.

Shakil Akhtar has received £100,000 in libel damages from the News of the World in respect of false allegations connecting him to the funding of terrorist organisations. The News of the World also agreed to publish an unequivocal apology.

Frank Warren won his libel case against the former heavyweight world champion boxer Herbie Hide.  Herbie Hide falsely claimed in a live interview with Steve Bunce, the well-known boxing commentator, that Frank Warren had bribed the boxer Johnny Nelson to give up his title belt in favour of Enzo Maccarinelli.  This was completely untrue and Frank Warren was awarded £35,000 in damages, together with an injunction and costs, after the High Court heard evidence from him, finding that the allegation was "a very serious allegation in the world of boxing".  His Honour Judge Moloney QC (Sitting as a Judge of the High Court) found Frank Warren to be "genuinely affronted, offended and distressed" by the allegations broadcast live on Setanta last year and wanted the sum in damages to show that "Mr Warren has received the full vindication of the Court".

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, who is the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, has received a fulsome apology and £45,000 in damages from the BBC.  Dr Bari had complained in relation to false and defamatory allegations broadcast on the flagship BBC1 programme Question Time on 12 March 2009.

The Observer has apologised to Her Highness Sheikha Mouza Bint Nasser Al Misnad Al Thani, wife of the Emir of Qatar, following the publication of false allegations concerning Qatari investment in Barclays Bank.

The Daily Telegraph has paid damages and published an apology to Dr Brian Jones, the country's most senior intelligence expert on weapons of mass destruction in the period leading up to the Iraq war, over articles published in the newspaper and on its website on 20 March 2009 that falsely alleged that he had leaked information to the media before the Iraq war.

The long-running libel proceedings brought against the BBC by Mohamed Taranissi, the well known consultant obstetrician, gynaecologist and IVF specialist, have been successfully resolved.  Mr Taranissi brought the action (on his own behalf and that of his clinic the ARGC), following the broadcast of the Panorama programme, "IVF Undercover" on 15 January 2007.   
 
The settlement follows the withdrawal by the BBC of its "responsible journalism" defence in October 2008, the court's decision to strike-out a substantial part of the BBC's remaining defence of justification in May 2009, and the making of very substantial costs orders in Mr Taranissi's favour.

On 23 May, Magnus Boyd was interviewed by John Humphries on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on how reporting of court proceedings on the internet has impacted on the law of contempt of court.

Trafigura, the leading commodities trader, has issued libel proceedings in relation to allegations broadcast on the BBC Newsnight programme on 13 May 2009.

Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail, has apologised in the High Court to Tom Watson MP, over false allegations that he was copied in on emails exchanged between Damian McBride and Derek Draper in which they were reported to have discussed serious and false allegations concerning the private lives of various Conservative Party MPs. The Mail accepted its allegations were untrue and has paid substantial damages to Mr Watson.

Michael Winner has won his libel complaint against the Daily Express.  The newspaper has published an apology and made a donation to a charity chosen by Mr Winner, as well as paying his legal costs.