Two more Super Injunctions in past year
14 May 2012
TUV Leader Jim Allister has established by an Assembly Question that in the past year a further two super injunctions have been issued by the High Court in Belfast, though one of them, issued on 8 December 2011, has now been discharged. The other remains extant.
Two in one year marks a notable increase in that previous questions extablished that there had only been four in the four year period 2007-11.
Commenting Jim Allister said:-
"The growth of ‘super injunctions’ is a product of the courts being persuaded to prioritise privacy rights over freedom of expression and press rights within the Human Rights Act. I am far from convinced that this balance is weighted in the right direction, particularly where it is a facility which in practical terms is only likely to be available to those who can afford it.
"Since by their very nature such orders do not sit comfortably with the transparency expectations of modern society, it is, I believe, in the public interest that information about the number and lifting of super injunctions should be known. Elsewhere some ‘beneficiaries’ of such injunctive relief have contributed to the public knowledge and those in Northern Ireland who availed of such orders in 2011/12 could of their own volition now do likewise.”
Below is the latest Q & A:
To ask the Minister of Justice (i) how many orders have been made by the High Court of Justice prohibiting publicity on the granting of injunctive relief since 26 May 2011; (ii) when each order was made; (iii) how many are still extant in Northern Ireland; and (iv) whether any such orders have been discharged since 23 June 2011.
Two orders prohibiting publicity on the granting of injunctive relief have been made in the High Court since 26 May 2011. One is still extant and one has been discharged.
As one of the orders is extant further information cannot be provided without risking contravening the terms of the order.
The order that has been discharged was made on 8 December 2011.
