Court orders involving Russell Brand and David Walliams have prompted political scrutiny.
Ministers are considering action after court orders restricted an accuser’s disclosures and temporarily blocked reporting of sexual misconduct allegations.
British court injunctions have drawn political scrutiny after Russell Brand and David Walliams secured orders restricting disclosures of misconduct allegations. The government says it is considering what action to take.
Before his conviction last week in a rape and sexual assault trial, Brand obtained an injunction against another accuser. The order barred her from discussing her assault allegations with almost anyone, including police, relatives and most doctors.
Brand denies her allegations. Meanwhile, the injunction, which tax lawyer and free-expression activist Dan Neidle first revealed, apparently remains in force.
In a separate case, Walliams secured a temporary order blocking two British news organisations from reporting sexual misconduct allegations. However, a judge declined to make that injunction permanent.
British court injunctions prompt calls for action
The two organisations published their investigations into Walliams last week after the temporary reporting restriction. The television personality and children’s author denies the allegations.
Both cases have fuelled public and political anger over court orders that restrict scrutiny while protecting reputations. They have also renewed attention on how British laws can allow wealthy and powerful people to silence critics.
In other cases, judges have issued super-injunctions, which also prohibit publication of information about the orders themselves.
Against that backdrop, shadow justice minister Nick Timothy challenged the government in Parliament on Tuesday. He asked how ministers would prevent abuses of court processes and restrictions that obstruct accountability and press scrutiny.
In response, Alex Davies-Jones said the government was examining possible action. Her ministerial responsibilities include victims of crime and violence against women and girls.
