Privacy and media freedom.

Privacy and media freedom.

Journal article

1 online resource

9780191748714 eBook

This book examines the right of privacy from a legal, philosophical, and social perspective, tracing its genesis in the United States, through the development of the law of confidence, and its recent recognition in the United Kingdom by the Human Rights Act 1998. The English courts have, in recent judgments, sought to offer refuge from an increasingly intrusive media; the last decade has witnessed a deluge of civil suits by celebrities seeking to protect their personal information. This extensive body of case law in several common law jurisdictions—the core of the book—shows no sign of abating. The 2012 Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practices, and ethics of the press, sparked by the hacking of telephones by newspapers, revealed a greater degree of invasion of privacy than was previously evident. Its conclusions and recommendations, particularly regarding the regulation of the media, are examined, as well as the various remedies available to victims of intrusion and unsolicited publicity. The law is locked in a struggle to reconcile privacy and free speech, in the face of relentless advances in technology. The manner in which the courts have attempted to resolve this conflict is critically examined, and the prospects for the protection of privacy considered, along with a proposed draft bill that offers safeguards to individuals against intrusion and unwanted publicity.

Includes bibliographical references.

Online resource

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013

eng