A high court judge has upheld the News of the World‘s right to expose a married MP who had an affair in his House of Commons office.
Last week, the News International tabloid reported Nigel Griffiths filmed himself, with his mistress, in his office on Remembrance Day.
On Saturday, Griffiths tried to obtain an injunction to stop the paper printing more revelations – but the judge ruled against him.
Mr Justice King said: “I accept there is a legitimate interest of the public in the way MPs use access to offices that they get as a result of their public office.
“There is a right to prevent the public from being significantly misled. At the very least, he was being economical with the truth.”
As a result, the News of the World yesterday revealed that Griffiths had downloaded 71 pictures from his camera to his laptop.
This contradicted Griffiths’ claim that he had “little recollection” of the night.
The paper also said parliamentary standards commissioner John Lyons, who on Thursday cleared Griffiths of wrongdoing, had failed to contact the News of the World for evidence.
The paper’s legal manager, Tom Crone, said: “We are publishing the story because Mr Griffiths has repeatedly lied publicly and also issued an extremely misleading statement.
“The parliamentary commissioner has also failed to investigate properly the several complaints he received from members of the public following our exclusive story last week.
“The judge’s decision confirms our belief that the latest revelations to be published in are legitimately in the public interest.”
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