This morning’s Guardian reports on what seems to be a piece of legal history.
A wealthy financier involved in a family dispute has made British legal history by winning anonymity in a libel case. This latest court attempt to censor internet material has led to claims that free speech is being further eroded in Britain.
The case is quite a murky one, apparently involving allegations of blackmail and sex offences. Nonethless, the precedent set must be cause for alarm.
Index Chief Executive John Kampfner commented: “This takes the epidemic of superinjunctions down a dangerous new path. Now they are being used not only to protect supposed privacy, but libel too.”
Gavin Millar QC adds: “Courts are increasingly granting anonymity to claimants where withholding details of evidence used to be regarded as sufficient. This case seems to be more of the same. Open justice is suffering.”
