The Media Law Podcast

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.