Stephen Hockman QC Courting controversy: Parliament & the judiciary wrangle over privacy
The issue of legal privacy which dominates current headlines is a toxic one. It mingles not only some traditional elements such as sex, football and money. We are also seeing a concerted attempt by the media to gain significant new ground within our political system. We are seeing how the use of the internet can make a political issue much harder to solve. And above all we are seeing how, under our uncodified constitution, there is the potential for damaging tension between the courts and Parliament.
The judges are doing their best to address these problems constructively. If you doubt this, look not only at the report by the Master of the Rolls’ Committee on Super Injunctions, but also at the transcript of the press briefing last week by the Master of the Rolls and the Lord Chief Justice (now on the judiciary’s website at www.judiciary.gov.uk). Lord Judge makes clear his desire to see the use of the internet made subject to public policy review, since it is unacceptable that
