Category Archives: courts

Legal records and the ‘right to be forgotten’: Google Spain blog series and event

Professor Lorna Woods, University of Essex, has put together a fantastic panel of lawyers to digest and discuss the long-awaited ECJ judgment in the Google Spain case, which considers whether Google is required to remove links to a 15 year … Continue reading

Posted in courts, data, digital open justice, events, freedom of expression, human rights | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A sensible proposal for online recording of reporting restrictions

Amid concerns over proposed changes to the Contempt of Act 1981, through the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, which would introduce new statutory powers for the removal of online material*, it seems worth highlighting some separate recommendations on contempt and … Continue reading

Posted in academic research, access to justice, contempt of court, courts, media law, press freedom, reporting restrictions | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

What data should the Ministry of Justice open up?

The Ministry of Justice has listed 43 unpublished data-sets that could be opened up for public use. It is part of a public consultation on the National Information Infrastructure (NII), a new initiative for improving government data. The government is … Continue reading

Posted in academic research, access to justice, courts, criminal law, data, digital open justice, education, freedom of information | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Law and Media Review of the Legal Year 2012/13

A review of legal cases and legal developments over the legal year, from September 2012 (just before the beginning of the legal year proper) until the end of July 2013 can be found on the Inforrm blog. The Inforrm case … Continue reading

Posted in blogging, courts | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Privacy and restrictions on disclosure in Tribunals

As a postscript to my post on open courts and the ‘right to be forgotten’: PA Media Lawyer has highlighted that a new Rule 50 of the Employment Tribunal Regulations 2013 stipulates a new provision for “Privacy and restrictions on … Continue reading

Posted in access to justice, blogging, courts, data, media law, privacy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Open courts data, open justice… and the right to be forgotten?

I dipped my toe in the curious world of data protection enforcement yesterday [4 June], at the first joint seminar of the DP Forum and NADPO (The National Association of Data Protection Officers). The theme was ‘The challenges of complying … Continue reading

Posted in access to justice, blogging, courts, data, digital open justice, freedom of expression, freedom of information, human rights, privacy | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The legal relevance of being a ‘blog’: a ‘pretty straightforward’ definition?

We are comfortable that there is a clear articulation of “blog” and “news”. Blogs are to do with the expression of the point of view of an individual or group of individuals. That is pretty straightforward, although, as with everything … Continue reading

Posted in blogging, courts, media law, media regulation | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Open letter: Justice and Security Bill is ‘a charter for cover ups’

My name is among the signatories of this open letter written in protest at the measures proposed in the Justice and Security Bill, which has reached its report stage and third reading in the House of Commons.  For more background … Continue reading

Posted in academic research, access to justice, courts, digital open justice, freedom of expression, human rights, press freedom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

New paper: Leveson online – A publicly reported inquiry

My paper on public access to the Leveson Inquiry has been published in the new issue of Ethical Space, The International Journal of Communication Ethics. Abstract: The Leveson Inquiry has broken new ground for court and political reporting: for the first … Continue reading

Posted in academic research, access to justice, blogging, courts, data, digital open justice, freedom of expression, human rights, journalism, leveson inquiry, media ethics, press freedom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“Full” courts lists continued: what are the data protection and contempt issues? And who should be able to access them?

A quick update to my recent post on digital publication of Magistrates’ court lists. I reported how blogger Richard Taylor obtained a “full” court list from his local Magistrates’ Court following a Freedom of Information request. However, he did not … Continue reading

Posted in access to justice, blogging, courts, data, digital open justice, public interest, reporting restrictions | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment