Media Law News
Latest Media Law News & Publications
By its very nature, the majority of Carter-Ruck’s pre-publication and privacy-related work is confidential and must remain so. However, a selection of recent media and defamation work highlights which are in the public domain is set out below.
Carter-Ruck announces three new partner promotions
The firm is delighted to announce that Antonia Foster, Miranda Rushton and Rebecca Toman have been promoted to the Carter-Ruck partnership.
To learn more about their work please go to:
Click here for the New Law Journal article
CEO and Founder of Islam Channel awarded £140,000 in libel damages over false terrorism allegation
The High Court has awarded Mohamed Ali Harrath, the CEO and Founder of the Islam Channel, £140,000 in libel damages against the Stand for Peace website and its director, Samuel Westrop, over false allegations that Mr Harrath was guilty of terrorism.
As well as awarding very substantial damages the judge, Sir David Eady, also confirmed in his reasoned judgment that "there was simply no evidence to support the allegation of terrorism" and that "the sum awarded should be such as to leave interested onlookers in no doubt as to the baselessness of the Defendants’ charge against [Mr Harrath]"
Read the Press Release here
The Judgment can be found here
Mr Harrath is represented by Adam Tudor and Moritz Schirmeister
Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year
Nigel Tait has been awarded the accolade of Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, Defamation (London).
BBC broadcasts full apology and pays substantial libel damages to Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin
The BBC has apologised and paid very substantial libel damages to Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin (one of the founding members of the Muslim Council of Britain and a past Chairman of the charity Muslim Aid) over false allegations that Mr Mueen-Uddin had advocated the lynching of Salman Rushdie during the infamous “Satanic Verses” affair.
Click here to read the published apology
Click here to listen to the broadcast apology
A full Press Release can be read here
Adam Tudor and Helena Shipman acted for Mr Mueen-Uddin
Law Society Gazette – “Lawyer in the News”
Carter-Ruck Partner Adam Tudor has been featured in the Law Society Gazette over the firm’s representation of the Mahmood family in their complaints against the Mail and Katie Hopkins.
Read the article here
Katie Hopkins and Mail apologise and Mail pays £150,000 to Mahmood family over “Disneyland” libels
MailOnline and its columnist Katie Hopkins have today published a full apology to the Mahmood family and the Mail has paid £150,000 in libel damages, as well as agreeing to pay their legal costs. Ms Hopkins has also apologised on Twitter to her 650,000 followers.
The complaint related to two articles written by Ms Hopkins and published by MailOnline in December 2015, following the refusal by the US authorities to allow a number of members of the Mahmood family, who are Muslims, to board a flight for the USA. The family were going on holiday and had planned a trip to Disneyland.
The Mahmood family are represented by Adam Tudor and Lawrence Northmore-Ball
Examples of media coverage of the story:
Jang group Chief Executive awarded £185,000 in libel damages following High Court trial
Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the Group Chief Executive and Editor in Chief of the Jang group of companies, the largest media group in Pakistan, has been awarded £185,000 in libel damages by London’s High Court in respect of 24 libellous programmes broadcast by the Defendants, rival media company ARY Network Limited and its COO, Fayaz Ghafoor.
Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman was represented by Alasdair Pepper, Antonia Foster, Helena Shipman and Victoria Anderson
The Judgment can be found here
Sunday Telegraph apologises and pays substantial libel damages over false extremism allegations
Ifhat Smith, a mother who brought to public attention her son’s treatment at school under the government’s "Prevent" (counter-terrorism) policy, has secured substantial damages, an apology and her legal costs from the Sunday Telegraph.
Ifhat Smith was represented by Claire Gill and Isabella Piasecka
Click here to read the apology
Settlement in “Heir Hunters” libel case
Philip Turvey, a joint Director of leading genealogical research company, Anglia Research Services Limited, has settled his libel claim against Finders Genealogists Limited (which operates as Finders International), and its Managing Director Daniel Curran.
A Press Release containing the parties’ joint statement can be found here.
Mr Turvey is represented by Adam Tudor and Dominic Garner.
Dame Lowell Goddard
Carter-Ruck has released the following Press Release on behalf of Dame Lowell Goddard, in response to allegations published in the Times newspaper on 14 October 2016.
Leading Sikh Gurdwara President in £160,000 libel success
Gurmail Singh Malhi, President of London’s largest Sikh Gurdwara, has received £160,000 in damages and costs together with an apology from the publisher and Editors of Des Pardes Weekly over publication of false child abuse allegations.
The Press Release can be read here
Adam Tudor and Helena Shipman acted for Mr Malhi
Carter-Ruck clients secure injunction against Times in Candy Brothers litigation
After an application brought on their behalf by Carter-Ruck, the High Court has granted Mark Holyoake and Hotblack Holdings Limited an interim injunction. The injunction restrains the publication of information derived from various documents and correspondence, including without prejudice communications, between the parties in litigation brought by Mark Holyoake and Hotblack Holdings Limited against Nicholas Candy, Christian Candy and others.
Nigel Tait and Rebecca Toman act for Mark Holyoake and Hotblack Holdings Limited.
Solicitor succeeds in claim for breach of privacy against Lewis Silkin LLP
Solicitor Sarah Webb has successfully settled her High Court claim against Lewis Silkin LLP for misuse of private information, receiving damages and costs. Following a contested hearing, Ms Webb also won the right to read a statement in open court which vindicated her decision to sue.
The Statement in Open court can be read here
The Press Release can be read here
Nigel Tait, Ruth Collard and Rebecca Toman acted for Ms Webb.
Soldier receives substantial compensation from Nottingham Post over photograph libel
Lance Bombardier Kerry-Ann Morris has received a public apology, compensation and costs in relation to an article published by the Nottingham Post on its website in June 2015. The article featured a photograph wrongly identifying Morris as her non-identical twin sister, who was tried over the death of a seven-year old girl.
The Statement in Open Court can be found here
Nigel Tait and Persephone Bridgman Baker acted for Lance Bombardier Kerry-Ann Morris
“PJS” successful in landmark Supreme Court privacy case
In what is considered by many commentators to be the most important privacy law decision of the decade, Carter-Ruck acted for the Claimant, “PJS” in his successful appeal to the Supreme Court.
Nigel Tait and Rebecca Toman acted for PJS.
Read more on our Blog.
