Murray v Express Newspapers plc

What the court held

David Murray, son of JK Rowling, successfully argued that a covert paparazzo photograph of him being pushed in a pram in an Edinburgh street engaged his reasonable expectation of privacy. The Court of Appeal set out factors relevant to whether a child in a public place has such an expectation.

Key rulings

• A child in a public place can have a reasonable expectation of privacy where the parents did not consent to publication.
• Attributes of the claimant, nature of the activity, place, purpose of intrusion, and consequences all relevant.
• Children's privacy interests weighed higher than adults'.

Topics

Related cases (citator)

How this case connects to others in the landmark set — lines of authority, statutory supersession, and companion rulings.

• Campbell v MGN Ltd [2004] UKHL 22

  Applied the Campbell privacy principles to a child.

• Douglas v Hello! Ltd [2005] EWCA Civ 595

  Both concern unauthorised photography and privacy.

Authoritative source