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  1. Media Law
May 24, 2012updated 14 Sep 2012 5:44pm

Trimingham: Mail judgment may be ‘blueprint for bullies’

By Dominic Ponsford

Carina Trimingham is to appeal against a privacy judgment in favour of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday which said may become a 'blueprint for bullies and bigots".

She today lost her legal action for harassment and breach of privacy over a long series of articles in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday about her relationship with married former cabinet minister Chris Huhne – many of which made reference to her bisexuality.

Trimingham, who is understood to be insured, will have to pay Associated Newspapers' £410,000 legal costs.

Mr Justice Tugenhat said in his judgment today: 'Ms Trimingham was not the purely private figure she claims to be. Her reasonable expectation of privacy has become limited."

He also said: 'Insulting and offensive speech is protected by the right of freedom of expression".

Outside court, Ms Trimingham said: "I am extremely disappointed by this judgment. There is a ray of light, however.

"Thankfully, the court has accepted today that repeated mocking of a person by a national newspaper by reference to their sexual orientation would almost inevitably be so oppressive as to amount to harassment.

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"However, the court did not appreciate that when newspapers make repeated irrelevant references to sexuality – particularly in the context of pejorative and stereotypical references to appearance – it amounts to the same type of mocking which the court has confirmed is unacceptable.

"This is confused, and I think wrong. I am very concerned that this judgment may become a blueprint for bullies and bigots. I intend to appeal."

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