51.
First, although he gave an impressive and careful judgment, Jackson LJ
misdirected himself in an important respect when reaching the decision to discharge
the interlocutory injunction which had been previously granted. Having rightly said
that it was necessary to balance PJS’s right to respect for his private and family life
against NGN’s right to freedom of his expression, he said that section 12 of the
Human Rights Act “enhances the weight” to be given to the latter factor. However,
that is not right. As Lord Steyn made clear in In re S (A Child) [2005] 1 AC 593,
para 17, each right has equal potential force in principle, and the question is which
way the balance falls in the light of the specific facts and considerations in a
particular case. This was an error which entitles, indeed obliges, us to reconsider the
question of discharging the interlocutory injunction.
52.
Secondly, there is an argument that it was wrong to proceed on the basis that
the story had what Jackson LJ described as “limited”, as opposed to no, “public
interest”. Of course, there is always a public interest in anyone - particularly, some
may think, the media - having the right to say what they want. As Jackson LJ rightly
said in his first judgment in this case at para 55, “[freedom of expression is an
important right for its own sake”; and that is recognised by section 12(4) of the
Human Rights Act 1998, which provides that “[t]he court must have particular
regard to the importance of the Convention right to freedom of expression”.
However, following section 12(4)(a)(ii) of the 1998 Act, it appears to me that it was
the public interest (as opposed to the interests of some members of the public) in the
story being published which Jackson LJ was describing. In his earlier judgment in
which he decided to grant the injunction, Jackson LJ decided that there was no public
interest in the story being published (see [2016] EWCA Civ 100, para 53), and, as
that finding has unsurprisingly not been appealed, it must be accepted, at least until
trial. Having said that, I very much doubt that this factor would have been enough
to persuade me that we could reconsider the question of continuing the interlocutory
injunction, but, in the light of what I say in para 51 above and para 53 below, that is
an academic point.
53.
Thirdly, it appears to me that the Court of Appeal overlooked, or at any rate
gave insufficient weight to, the intrusive and distressing effect on PJS and his family
of newspaper coverage of the story, to some extent conflating that question with
confidentiality. I will say more about that aspect in the next section of this judgment.
The continuation of the interlocutory injunction
54.
It is therefore for this Court to decide whether or not to re-impose the
interlocutory injunction, it appears to me that the central issue in that connection is
whether the trial judge would be likely to grant a permanent injunction when this
case comes to trial. Section 12(3) of the 1998 Act precludes the grant of an
interlocutory injunction unless a permanent injunction is “likely” to be granted at
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