Monday, May 23, 2011

Ryan Giggs named as Premier League footballer in gagging order row

World Top Stories News , Ryan Giggs named in super-injunction row, Ryan Giggs named as Premier League footballer in gagging order row , Ryan Giggs named as footballer at the centre of privacy row : Ryan Giggs has been named as the footballer at the centre of a media gagging order after a Liberal Democrat MP used parliamentary privilege to flout an injunction.

John Hemming, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, was rebuked by Commons speaker John Bercow after using a question to attorney general Dominic Grieve to name the Manchester United midfielder.

Hemming made the intervention after Grieve announced that David Cameron had requested a joint committee of peers and MPs investigate the use of gagging orders. It came amid warnings from one influential Conservative MP that the actions of thousands of people posting details on Twitter of individuals involved in superinjunctions risked making the law "look an ass"

To the condemnation of some of his colleagues, Hemming, who has been campaigning on the issue, exercised parliamentary privilege to identify the star at the centre of the injunction just minutes after the high court refused to lift a ban on naming the sportsman, who is said to have had a relationship with Imogen Thomas, the former Big Brother contestant.

"With about 75,000 people having named Ryan Giggs on Twitter, it's obviously impractical to imprison them all," Hemming said.

He also went on to declare that Giles Coren, the Times columnist, was the journalist supposedly threatened with contempt of court proceedings in relation to another privacy injunction – although Grieve had previously told MPs that he was not planning legal proceedings against any journalist in relation to this case.

Moments after Hemming had named Giggs, Bercow interrupted to tell the MP: "Let me just say to the honourable gentleman, I know he's already done it, but occasions such as this are occasions for raising the issues of principle involved, not seeking to flout for whatever purpose. If the honourable gentleman wants to finish his question in an orderly way, he can do so."

Hemming continued: "The question is what the government's view is on an enforceability of a law that clearly doesn't have public consent."

Grieve, who would be responsible for any prosecution for contempt, told MPs that it was their duty "as parliamentarians" to uphold the rule of law.

The attorney general announced the prime minister's decision to have a joint committee examine the issues raised by the events of the past few months and, in particular, the past weekend relating to the superinjunction.

Grieve told MPs that the committee would examine whether the current system was working. Cameron had written to John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Commons culture committee, recommending the setting up of a new body.

Setting out Cameron's recommendation, Grieve said: "Such a committee would be able to use representation of both houses and the considerable expertise that select committees have to examine whether the current arrangements are working and to consider whether we might make any changes that might make things work better."

Grieve announced the move in response to an urgent question in the Commons from Whittingdale on the use of injunctions. (source http://www.guardian.co.uk/ )

Related Post:

Entertainment
word top news
Posted by at
Labels: ,