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RPC Privacy Law

The latest news in privacy law

About Keith Mathieson

Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and magazine publishers and other media companies. Most of his practice concerns the resolution of disputes arising from editorial content. He also advises at the pre-publication stage. He has mediation experience and provides regular advice on insurance coverage issues relating to media liability policies. Keith is the general editor of and principal author of The Privacy Law Handbook (Law Society Publishing, 2010) and a contributor to The Freedom of Information Handbook (Law Society Publishing, 2nd ed, 2008).

Selected directory listings

“keeps everything in perspective and is good at recognising the strengths and weaknesses of a case” – Chambers UK 2011
“‘exceptional’, providing ‘no-nonsense advice’ in a timely an effective way: ‘just what you want’, as one client puts it” – The Legal 500, 2010 edition
“is very much considered by the media to be on their wavelength” – Chambers UK 2010
“Keith Mathieson is a ‘master strategist’” – The Legal 500, 2009 edition
“Keith Mathieson ‘has his feet firmly on the ground and always handles things with calm equanimity’” – Chambers UK 2009
“Keith Mathieson gives ‘punchy, common-sense advice and doesn’t shrink from telling it as it is” – The Legal 500, 2008 edition
“a ‘popular choice for attentive, clear advice.’ – Chambers UK 2008
“Keith Mathieson is also noted for his ability to ‘assess carefully and then give commercially adroit and common-sensical advice’.” – The Legal 500, 2007 edition
Examples of relevant work

Advised the Mail, Mirror, Sun, Express and various other titles in relation to libel claims by Robert Murat and others arising out of the coverage of the disappearance of Madeleine McCann
Advised on numerous libel and privacy claims against various newspaper clients including the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Independent, Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph and Financial Times by a variety of individual and corporate claimants, including Michael Parkinson, Cherie Blair, Nicola Horlick, Wayne Rooney, Jonathan Ross, Kate Moss, Goldman Sachs and Tata Steel.

No breach of privacy in publication of information that child's father is a prominent politician

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

The Court of Appeal has upheld a High Court judgment that disclosures in the Daily Mail about a child's paternity did not infringe the child's rights of privacy.   The claimant in AAA v Associated Newspapers is a three-year-old girl. Her mother is an unmarried professional art consultant. Her fath... read more

Can schools take pupils' fingerprints?

Posted on April 09, 2013 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

The Times reported last week that parents at an independent school in north London had protested when fingerprints were allegedly taken from pupils without consent with a view to the fingerprints being used for the automated lunch payment system.  One of those pupils subsequently wrote to the Times ... read more

UK/EU conflict over the 'right to be forgotten'

Posted on April 05, 2013 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

The Guardian is reporting today that Britain wants to opt out of the 'right to be forgotten', the term applied to article 17 of the Data Protection Regulation which is intended to facilitate the deletion of personal data on request whether or not the data is incomplete or incorrect.The EU justice Co... read more

Do we really value our privacy?

Posted on April 03, 2013 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

How much do we really care about our personal privacy?  Research suggests less than we might like to think.The New York Times has published a profile of Alessandro Acquisti, a behavioural economist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.  Mr Acquisti and his colleagues have observed that while ... read more

Prince Harry – has the Sun got it right?

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

This blog noted a couple of days ago that clause 3 of the PCC Code requires editors to justify intrusions into an individual’s private life without consent.  The Sun has now sought to justify its publication of the photos of Prince Harry naked on various grounds, one of which is a previous deci... read more

A former editor’s view on the naked Royal

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

There’s an interesting view on the naked pictures of Prince Harry from a former tabloid editor.  In a blog on the Huffington Post site, Neil Wallis, described as “media commentator, former tabloid editor and currently under arrest as part of Operation Weeting”, says he would publish them: He... read more

MP’s partner loses privacy and harassment case against newspaper publisher

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

Carina Trimingham has lost her privacy and harassment case against the publishers of the Daily Mail.  Ms Trimingham, who is the partner of the former cabinet minister Chris Huhne MP, sued Associated Newspapers for infringement of her rights under three separate statutes: (a) misuse of pri... read more

What’s really wrong with pictures of the Duchess of Cambridge shopping?

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

The celebrity magazine Heat has published the following apology: In our issue cover-dated 3-9 December 2011, we published a photograph of the Duchess of Cambridge, taken while she was shopping in a store. We now accept that we should not have done so, and apologise to her for our actions. It i... read more

When can you sue under a disguised name?

Posted on May 03, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

In what circumstances can a claimant in civil litigation commence proceedings under a pseudonym?  We are familiar with alphabetised claimants in injunction cases who seek anonymity on grounds that the purpose of their proceedings would otherwise be defeated:  if the cheating footballer/act... read more

Judgment awaited in Trimingham harassment case

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Keith Mathieson
Keith Mathieson
Keith acts for a wide range of national and international newspapers, book and m
User is currently offline

Carina Trimingham's privacy and harassment case against Associated Newspapers was heard by Mr Justice Tugendhat in the High Court last week.  Judgment has been reserved. Ms Trimingham is the partner of the former cabinet minister Chris Huhne.  The two began a relationship in 2008 at a tim... read more

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Edited by Keith Mathieson

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