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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

UK privacy decision perhaps a pointer of things to come here

The Mosely decision in the UK involved consideration of issues that are likely to be much discussed here once the Australian Law Reform Commission Report on the review of privacy laws is released- who enjoys, and what are reasonable expectations of, privacy; and what constitutes responsible journalism in asserting the public interest in publication of information about aspects of a person's life that take place in private behind closed doors. The judgment included the observation that the public interest had to be determined by objective standards, and could not be left simply to a publisher to determine. While media lawyers and others are still working through the implications of the decision Mr Justice Eady said it could not "seriously be suggested that the case is likely to inhibit serious investigative journalism into crime or wrongdoing, where the public interest is more genuinely engaged.”

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