The claimant challenged a finding that as Mayor of London offensive remarks he had made to a journalist as he was pursued leaving a private party had brought his office into disrepute.
Held: The appeal succeeded. Though the remarks may have reduced the claimant’s personal standing, they had insufficient connection with his position to be found to bring his office into disrepute. The Act required the conduct to be ‘in performing his functions’. The court noted that there ‘is a danger in regarding any misconduct as particularly affecting the reputation of the office rather than the man. If a councillor commits sexual misconduct or is convicted of theft, I do not think the reputation of the office is thereby necessarily brought into disrepute. His certainly will be. If the high profile test is correct, anything done by the appellant which can be regarded as improper may fall within Paragraph 4, however remote from his official position. ‘
Judges:
Collins J
Citations:
[2006] EWHC 2533 (Admin), Times 09-Nov-2006, [2006] BLGR 799, [2006] HRLR 45, [2007] ACD 22
Links:
Statutes:
Local Government Act 2000 79(15)
Citing:
Cited – R (Mrs) v Central Independent Television Plc CA 17-Feb-1994
The court did not have power to stop a TV program identifying a ward of court, but which was not about the care of the ward. The first instance court had granted an injunction in relation to a television programme dealing with the arrest and the . .
Cited – Derbyshire County Council v Times Newspapers Ltd and Others HL 18-Feb-1993
Local Council may not Sue in Defamation
Local Authorities must be open to criticism as political and administrative bodies, and so cannot be allowed to sue in defamation. Such a right would operate as ‘a chill factor’ on free speech. Freedom of speech was the underlying value which . .
Cited – Ladd v Marshall CA 29-Nov-1954
Conditions for new evidence on appeal
At the trial, the wife of the appellant’s opponent said she had forgotten certain events. After the trial she began divorce proceedings, and informed the appellant that she now remembered. He sought either to appeal admitting fresh evidence, or for . .
Cited – E I Du Pont De Nemours and Company v S T Dupont; Du Pont Trade Mark CA 10-Oct-2003
The court considered the circumstances under which a Hearing Officer’s decision could be reversed on appeal: ‘Those experienced in cases such as these, such as the Hearing Officer, would have known that the sort of evidence normally adduced on . .
Cited by:
Cited – Gaunt v OFCOM and Liberty QBD 13-Jul-2010
The claimant, a radio presenter sought judicial review of the respondent’s finding (against the broadcaster) that a radio interview he had conducted breached the Broadcasting Code. He had strongly criticised a proposal to ban smokers from being . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Local Government
Updated: 08 July 2022; Ref: scu.245595