Which court decided it?

Court of Appeal in 2018. Neutral citation: [2018] EWCA Civ 1780.

Why does it matter for UK journalists?

The DPA 1998 s.32 (now DPA 2018 s.174 / Schedule 2 Part 5) journalism exemption is central to publishability of investigative reporting. The court has jurisdiction to grant stays but must apply the statutory framework carefully. The regime balances press freedom (Art 10) with data subject rights.

Stunt v Associated Newspapers Ltd

[2018] EWCA Civ 1780 — Court of Appeal, 2018

Last reviewed: 14 July 2026Next review due: 14 January 2027

What the court held

The Court of Appeal considered the interaction between UK data protection (then DPA 1998, now DPA 2018) and the journalism exemption for personal data. Considered when a stay of a subject access request is appropriate pending publication.

Key rulings

The DPA 1998 s.32 (now DPA 2018 s.174 / Schedule 2 Part 5) journalism exemption is central to publishability of investigative reporting.
The court has jurisdiction to grant stays but must apply the statutory framework carefully.
The regime balances press freedom (Art 10) with data subject rights.

Topics

Data protectionjournalism-exemptionsars

Acts cited

Data Protection Act 1998
Data Protection Act 2018

Authoritative source

Read the full judgment on BAILII (British and Irish Legal Information Institute):

https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2018/1780.html

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Case summaries are drafted by UK JournoHub Editorial for practising UK journalists. They are not legal advice. Always consult primary sources and, for high-risk stories, take specialist legal advice.