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31 March 2023
Issue: 8019 / Categories: Legal News , Public , Defamation , Privacy
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NLJ this week: Media storms & police disclosure

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‘What personal information can, and should, the police disclose during high-profile investigations,’ such as Nicola Bulley’s disappearance in January? Jeremy Clarke-Williams, partner, and Sophie Taraniuk, paralegal, in the reputation management and privacy team at Penningtons Manches Cooper, address this question, in this week’s NLJ.

The media storm surrounding Ms Bulley’s disappearance prompted ‘baseless speculation’ and attracted amateur sleuths, while Lancashire Constabulary drew widespread criticism for their decision to disclose personal information about the missing person.

What protection is provided by the law? Clarke-Williams and Taraniuk examine the potential for a claim for misuse of private information (MPI), as well as considering privacy and defamation. Ofcom has also raised questions about the conduct of broadcasters. When is private information in the public interest? 

Read this fascinating piece in full here.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Sidley—James Inness

Sidley—James Inness

Partner joins capital markets team in London office

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Firm announces appointment of partner as UK general counsel

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

NEWS
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
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