The Media Law Podcast

Dona, Tom and Paul rake over the latest Media Law headlines. On the agenda this time we have Reform UK's threats to sue ITV over undercover reporting, the 'well-known celebrity' seeking a privacy injunction, the UK government adding more types of pornography to the list of banned 'extreme porn', and the privacy implications of leaking 'nudes' of a video game character.

We're back for the 2026-27 academic year! Long-time host and producer Colette bids farewell (for now, at least) as she hands over the baton to new host Dona. Up for discussion this week are Etihad Airways' threatened lawsuit against the Premier League, David Sullivan's libel claim against the BBC, a case of mistaken identity in Detroit, and a copyright claim against an Olivia Dean song. Tom and Pa...

Colette, Tom and Paul reflect on the tragic death of Professor Jason Arday, and the need for more effective media regulation.

Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the summer Media Law headlines. In this episode, Prince Harry and others' privacy case against Associated Newspapers Ltd ends in defeat, while Dale Vince succeeds on appeal in a data protection claim despite a long-standing libel rule that went against him at first instance. Elsewhere, former BBC editor Vincent Kearney succeeds in a claim against MI5 and the Police...

The Team are joined by Rebecca Moosavian to discuss the new claim brought by Labour MP Jess Asato against Elon Musk's xAI over sexualised deepfake images of her, as well as the ongoing contempt of court proceedings against Rajiv Menon KC, the Court of Appeal decision on the proscription of Palestine Action and the latest iteration of a private member SLAPP Bill.

Colette, Tom and Paul are back to discuss the jury finding against Meta and Google, the UK's first 'SLAPP' judgment, Israel's libel threat against the New York Times and the potentially defamatory coverage of a prize-winning short story. Listen closely for the special guest appearance from Paul's cat.

Tom and Paul discuss the High Court's recent ruling that the Home Secretary's proscription of Palestine Action was unlawful. Also on the agenda are the acquittal of the Filton 6, Reform UK's threats to defund the University of Bangor, and an update from Trump's lawsuit against the BBC in Florida.

Colette, Tom and Paul rake over the most recent headlines from the world of Media Law, including the BBC's attempt to get Trump's libel suit dismissed, and the collapse of a private prosecution against comedian Reginald D Hunter.

Colette, Tom and Paul round up the Media Law news as we head into the Christmas period. On the agenda: Donald Trump threatens the BBC with a $5bn libel suit, the fallout from former England goalkeeper Mary Earps' memoir, and a discussion of academic freedom following accusations of censorship at Sheffield Hallam University.

Colette and Tom discuss the recent Court of Appeal judgment in Blake v Fox. In the judgment, the Court grapples with "serious harm" under section 1 of the Defamation Act 2013 once again, and stakes out a controversial position on the appropriate test for causation.

Colette, Tom and Paul provide commentary on the decisions closing the two separate cases involving rappers Drake and Kneecap's Mo Chara. They also cover the hacking of the third party user verification service used by Discord and the successful appeal against conviction of the Quran burner.

The gang are back together to go through the summer's headlines.

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 Palesti...

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...

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...

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 arres...

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...

Colette, Tom and Paul are back from the summer break - and what a busy summer it's been! In this podcast, they look back on a summer where the distinction between legitimate protest, extremism, and incitement to violence has been brought to the foreground by events in the UK and abroad.

Colette, Tom and Paul discuss the lengthy sentences handed out to five Just Stop Oil protestors convicted of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, and what we can tell about the new government's approach to free speech from its early actions.

On the eve of the UK general election, Colette and Tom discuss Julian Assange's plea deal and return to Australia, and Conservative election candidate Laura Saunders' threat to sue the BBC over its Gamblegate reporting. Also, the latest correct litigation prediction from the MLP team!