New Right To Privacy Paper

The Government today publishes a green paper on infringement of privacy which would give individuals the right to sue anyone for damages who causes them distress by invading their privacy. The right would be enforceable against anyone, not just the media.

Ministers are anxious to curb the tabloid newspapers, as well as wishing to bring Britain into line with the United States, Canada, Australia and the rest of Europe, and with the European Convention on Human Rights which guarantees the right to private and family life.

The National Heritage department is to publish a white paper next month on press regulation, which will almost certainly propose a voluntary ombudsman which would run alongside a new privacy law.

Today’s paper from the Lord Chancellor, Lord Mackay, stresses the need to balance freedom of speech with the right to privacy, with a ‘public interest’ defence to protect those who infringe privacy, while raising matters of public concern.