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Channel 4 News has been found in breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code concerning their coverage of the Westminster Bridge attack on 22 March 2017 by wrongly identifying the terror attacker who murdered five people. Channel 4 News is produced by Independent Television News Limited (ITN). Rule 5.1 of the Code states “News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality”. The Channel 4 News Senior Home Affairs Correspondent, Simon Israel, named Abu Izzadeen as the terrorist shot dead in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster after the murder of five persons....

The UK Government has introduced a Data Protection Bill in the House of Lords, which should complete its passage through Parliament and become law next year. The Bill is intended to implement a commitment in the 2017 Conservative Party manifesto to replace the current data protection laws (which date back to 1998, see IRIS 1998-8/21) to make them suitable for the digital age with ever increasing amounts of personal data being processed. The intention is also to update the law to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) (GDPR); after Brexit the GDPR will be retained as part...

On 31 July 2017, the UK Court of Appeal issued an important judgment on the terms of a “Tomlin Order” preventing the publication of certain facts, and held that the grant of an injunction and an inquiry as to damages was not a disproportionate restriction on the right to freedom of expression under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). During 2012 and 2013, a Greek language newspaper, Demokratia, published articles concerning a businessman, Mr Sabby Mionis, suggesting he was evading tax by holding funds in a Swiss bank. The former French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde...

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has stated that hate crimes are a priority area for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), given the increasing incidence of these crimes, especially on social media. On 21 August 2017, following a consultation, the CPS issued public statements on its approach to hate crimes (explaining the approach of the CPS and what victims and witnesses can expect), as well as revised legal guidance. These documents supplement the DPP’s social media guidance (“Guidelines on prosecuting cases involving communications sent via social media”). These statements and guidance...

On 8 May 2017, Ofcom determined that “ITV News” was in breach of Rule 1.3 of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code by showing a graphic clip from a well-known film as part of its obituary of actor John Hurt during their morning bulletin (when children were likely to form part of the audience). Notably, the decision resulted in ITV amending its Compliance Manual, and provides guidance on news programming content pre-watershed. “ITV News” is produced for the ITV network by ITN (Independent Television News), which also ensures compliance with Ofcom’s rules relating to news broadcasts. On the morning of 28 January...