27 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost, News and features
Singer Lily Allen’s half-sister has launched legal action against Now magazine over an article about her famous relative. Gala Talbott is suing the publication’s owner IPC Media, seeking libel damages of up to £15,000.
The nineteen-year-old claims that an article entitled “Lily’s Heartache over Secret Sister” made false allegations about the relationship between the two women. She said the story was distressing and embarrassing, and that it had damaged her reputation. In addition to her libel claim Talbott is seeking an injunction banning any repetition of the same allegations.
27 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost
Little Britain actor Matt Lucas is taking legal action against the Daily Mail over a story that he claims breached his privacy. Entitled How Matt Lucas learned to laugh again, the article detailed how the actor was affected by the suicide of his former civil partner, Kevin McGee. Lucas said the story that appeared in March was “a very serious invasion of privacy” and an “intrusion into grief”. He claims the article included false information, such as the suggestion that he blamed himself for McGee’s death.
27 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost
The Constitutional Court has declared Uganda’s law on sedition null and void. Journalists will no longer be legally prevented from criticising President Yoweri Museveni or his government. A panel of five judges ruled on 25 August that the law violated the public’s right to free speech, which is guaranteed in Uganda’s constitution. The executive secretary of the Media Council of Uganda Haruna Kanaabi said that the law has often been used as a way of silencing dissent, particularly ahead of next year’s general elections. The government has announced that it will be appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision.
27 Aug 2010 | Index Index, minipost
A proposed data privacy law could prevent companies from checking potential employees’ Facebook profiles. Employers will be allowed to search applicants on Google, but the use of social networking sites in the selection process will be banned. The new legislation will also require companies to notify employees about any monitoring of telephone calls or emails. The German cabinet is set to approve the law on 25 August.
