View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Publishers
  2. Magazines
October 30, 2013

Attorney General says Private Eye’s Rebekah Brooks front page ‘not contempt’

By Darren Boyle

The Attorney General Dominic Grieve has ruled out contempt of court proceedings against Private Eye over its controversial front cover featuring Rebekah Brooks despite police attempts to stop its sale.

The ‘Halloween Special’ edition features a file photograph of Brooks leaving the Royal Courts of Justice above the headline “horror witch costume withdrawn from shops”.

Trial judge Justice Saunders raised a copy of magazine and showed it to the jury yesterday.

He warned: "Unfortunately Private Eye has seen fit today to put out their November edition. You will undoubtedly see it on the newstands, so I can show it to you.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

"It bears a picture of Rebekah Brooks on the cover. It's meant to be satire. You ignore it. It has no serious input and it is not relevant to your considerations.

"It is one of those things that you will have to ignore – a joke which in the circumstances of today is a joke in especially bad taste."

The judge’s warning prompted officers from the Metropolitan Police to approach newspaper vendors in the vicinity of the Old Bailey and ask them to remove the magazine as it may be “contempt of court”.

However, the Attorney General did not issue any direction to the Metropolitan Police to start removing copies of the magazine.

The Crown Prosecution Service also confirmed it did not direct the police to act on the issue.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told Press Gazette: “MPS officers in conjunction with other parties within the trial made enquiries with a vendor about the latest Private Eye publication to assist the court. They advised the vendor that the publication may be in contempt of court.“

The vendor, who has a stall outside Farringdon Station,reportedly told the officers that he would only act if they were in a position to produce a court order.

He was praised by leading media lawyer Mark Stephens

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network