Brett Wilson LLP‘s staff are taking part in the 20th London London Legal Walk on 18 June 2024 to raise money for the London Legal Support Trust (Londonlegal) in aid of free legal advice agencies. To support us, please visit our fundraising page here. The post London Legal Walk appeared first on Brett Wilson LLP ..read more

There has been a very sharp rise in self-published adult content over the last decade, driven in large part by the launch and success of OnlyFans and rival entrants  to the market such as Fansly, JustForFans, and ManyVids (there are dozens of others).  References in the article to OnlyFans apply equally to all similar websites. The benefits to either full-time or part-time models/performers (‘creators’) over traditional pornography work are now well-known: they get control over the type of content they perform, the co-stars they perform with, and do not have to fear that turning down ..read more

Simon Blake, a former trustee of charity Stonewall, and Colin Seymour, the drag artist Crystal, have each been awarded £90,000 in damages following their successful libel claim against Laurence Fox, the founder of the right-wing populist Reclaim Party. History of the claim The claim arose after Fox said he would boycott Sainsbury’s supermarket when it tweeted to celebrate Black History Month.  Blake and Seymour labelled Mr Fox a racist, and he responded calling them paedophiles. Blake and Seymour sued over the ‘paedophiles’ allegation, and Fox counterclaimed over the ‘racist’ allegation ..read more

In an increasingly digital world, where our lives are intertwined with online platforms and social media networks, ensuring safety and security in the virtual realm has become paramount. Governments worldwide are continuously refining legislation to address the challenges posed by the digital landscape. One such significant step is the enactment of the Online Safety Act 2023, a comprehensive framework designed to protect users and combat harmful content online.  The Act is far-reaching in scope, targeting both individuals and intermediaries. On 31 January 2024, Part 10 of the Act came int ..read more

Brett Wilson LLP partners Iain Wilson and Max Campbell have been listed in the 2024 edition of the prestigious Spear’s 500 as ‘top recommended’ and ‘recommended’ reputation lawyers respectively.  The recommendations can be found here and here.   The post Brett Wilson LLP partners listed in the 2024 edition of the Spear’s 500 as top/recommended reputation lawyers appeared first on Brett Wilson LLP ..read more

The recent judgment in Dyson v MGN Limited [2023] EWHC 3092, in which the Defendant publisher succeeded in its defence of honest opinion, provides important authority on the interpretation of section 3(4)(a) of the Defamation Act 2013. This decision, as well as the Court of Appeal’s decision in Riley v Murray [2022] EWCA Civ 1146, provides an opportune moment to review the recent case law on section 3 and to assess how the courts have interpreted the three conditions at the core of the honest opinion defence. The defence of honest opinion (broadly analogous with the pre-2013 common law defence ..read more

The development and use of AI (artificial intelligence) has increased dramatically in the past year. Widely available AI apps can be used to ask complex questions and immediately receive ostensibly sophisticated answers. The use of AI has extended to the legal sector where chatbots can be used to search for cases relating to a particular topic/field of law to assist in legal research.  This development raises various questions, including, whether AI is a reliable source of legal knowledge. What is AI and how is it being used? AI programs analyse and seek to understand language so that the ..read more

As many readers will know, Noel Clarke, the actor perhaps best known for his roles in three films constituting The Hood Trilogy and the television series Bulletproof, has sued The Guardian newspaper for libel and breach of his data protection rights in respect of eight articles in which he was accused of various forms of sexual harassment. It is now commonplace in libel claims for the Court to determine the defamatory meaning(s) of the publication(s) complained of before the defendant files a defence.  Such an exercise can be useful where a defendant would like to run a truth defence and ..read more

This press statement has been issued following the handing down of Mr Justice Julian Knowles’ judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB)   Our client Caroline Ley is relieved by the outcome of these proceedings which fully vindicate her and highlight the harassment she has suffered at the hands of her former colleague and fellow counsellor Siobhain Crosbie. In 2016, Ms Ley was accused by Ms Crosbie of stealing business from her.  There was no truth to this allegation at all.  What had seemingly happened was that an online directory had inadvertently published inaccura ..read more

On 1 November 2023, the High Court handed down judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB). The Defendant, Siobhain Crosbie, sued the Claimant, Caroline Ley, for passing off.  She sought damages of £1.4 million, plus interest. Ms Ley counterclaimed for libel, harassment, and breach of data protection rights. Mr Justice Julian Knowles dismissed Ms Crosbie’s passing off claim as being totally without merit, and found in Ms Ley’s favour on the counterclaim, awarding her damages of £75,000. Background The Claimant, Ms Crosbie, and the Defendant, Ms Ley, are both therapists. Ms Ley underto ..read more