Media, entertainment & sports law - Defamation

Not only is it a matter of importance to the parties concerned in any particular case, but also it is conducive to the public good, that, on the one hand, persons should not enjoy reputations that they do not deserve, and, on the other hand, the reputations of individuals and companies should not be debased falsely. Since the coming into force of the Human Rights Act 1998, it has been necessary to consider the recognition accorded to these principles by the common law in the context of the Article 10 right to freedom of expresssion and the express qualification in Article 10(2) concerning the protection of the reputation or rights of others. Members of chambers (including, in the period immediately before his death, the late George Carman QC) have been at the forefront of these developments, and have appeared in a number of the leading reported cases in recent years. One particular feature of the work of chambers in this area is that it embraces not only cases involving household names and media organisations but also the provision of advice and representation to our broader traditional client base such as local authorities and hospital trusts.