Venables v News Group International & Ors [2001] EWHC 530 (QB) (04 December 2001)

Venables v News Group International & Ors [2001] EWHC 530 (QB) (04 December 2001)

GMNL breached the injunction of 8 January 2001 by publishing information likely to lead to the identification of the whereabouts of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as the information was not already in the public domain and the publication created a real risk of identification, particularly when combined with...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2001] EWHC 530
Parties
Applicant: Attorney General; Respondent: Greater Manchester Newspapers Ltd (GMNL)
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
04 December 2001
Procedural Posture
Contempt of Court Application / Judgment on Application for Committal for Contempt
Outcome
GMNL found in contempt of court for breach of injunction.
Legal Topics
Injunctions, Breach of Court Orders, Public Domain Information, Protection of Identity, Children and Young Persons, Article 2 and 3 ECHR
Media Law Contempt of Court Confidentiality Human Rights Injunctions Breach of Court Orders Public Domain Information Protection of Identity +2 more

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Parties

Attorney General

Applicant

Greater Manchester Newspapers Ltd (GMNL)

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Contempt of Court Application / Judgment on Application for Committal for Contempt

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether GMNL had notice of the injunctions
  2. 2 Whether the information published was likely to lead to identification under the injunction
  3. 3 Whether the information was already in the public domain

Ratio Decidendi

GMNL breached the injunction of 8 January 2001 by publishing information likely to lead to the identification of the whereabouts of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as the information was not already in the public domain and the publication created a real risk of identification, particularly when combined with local knowledge.

Court Disposition

GMNL found in contempt of court for breach of injunction.

Orders

  • Declaration that GMNL is in breach of the order of 8 January 2001.