Following the arrest of 4 men in London on Tuesday 7 October, who included Tarik Hassane, the Attorney General reminds editors, publishers and social media users that for the purpose of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 (the Act), proceedings are active and the strict liability rule under the Act therefore applies.
In particular, the Attorney General wishes to draw attention to the risks in publishing material, including on-line, that asserts or assumes, expressly or implicitly, the guilt of any of those arrested, or that otherwise interferes with the administration of justice in this case, for example allegations of wrongdoing of any individual arrested in relation to this matter.
The Attorney General’s Office will be monitoring the coverage of these proceedings.
Editors, publishers and social media users are reminded of their responsibilities under the Act and should take legal advice to ensure they are in a position to fully comply with the obligations imposed by the Act.