With the Michaelmas Legal Term well and truly underway, Hamlins’ Media Team has been, and continues to be, incredibly busy playing a key role in a number of significant hearings and trials in leading defamation, privacy and data protection cases. Our Media Team has been, and will be, involved in the following trials and applications listed for this term:

• On Thursday 24 October, Hamlins represented a longstanding client, and Conservative peer, Lord Sheikh, in the major libel action: Lord Sheikh v Associated Newspapers Limited. The action concerns a 15 August 2018 article published by the Mail Online referring to Lord Sheikh’s attendance at a conference in Tunisia, branded in the article as a ‘hate conference’. The hearing was a preliminary issue trial as to meaning and defences. See our article discussing the Judge’s positive findings.
• On 31 October and 1 November there was a Case Management Conference in the Various Claimants v News Group Newspapers Limited phone hacking litigation. Hamlins act in an individual capacity for a large number of the Claimants in this action, and various issues were determined, including an extension of the cut-off date for claims to be included in the current Tranche of litigation to 31 March 2019, as well as various disclosure Orders in the Claimants’ favour.
• On Monday, 11 November a five day trial in the case of Turley v Unite the Union & Another commenced. Hamlins represent the Claimant, Anna Turley, MP for Redcar. The action concerns a 7 April 2017 post on Sqwawkbox, and the claim is for libel, data protection, and misuse of private information.
• On Tuesday, 12 November there is a hearing in the Various Claimants v MGN Limited phone hacking litigation, where a number of applications will be heard. Hamlins act in an individual capacity for a number of the Claimant’s in this action, and will represent several Claimants in an application forcing MGN Limited to comply with a previous Court Order.
• On 5 December, there will be a preliminary issue hearing in the case of Triplark v Northwood Hall & Ors. Hamlins is acting for the Claimant, where the Defendants have used defamatory language regarding the Claimant’s management of a block of flats as part of a wider property enfranchisement dispute.

Enquiries to Christopher Hutchings (christopher.hutchings@hamlins.com) and Callum Galbraith (callum.galbraith@hamlins.com).