Which court decided it?

Supreme Court in 2022. Neutral citation: [2022] UKSC 5.

Why does it matter for UK journalists?

Reasonable expectation of privacy attaches to being under criminal investigation before charge. Presumption may be displaced by strong public-interest justification, but the starting point favours privacy. Detailed reasoning required to name a pre-charge suspect.

ZXC v Bloomberg LP

[2022] UKSC 5 — Supreme Court, 2022

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

What the court held

The Supreme Court held that in general a person under criminal investigation but not charged has a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of information about that investigation. Article 8 protection extended to the pre-charge stage, subject to the case-by-case balance with Article 10.

Key rulings

Reasonable expectation of privacy attaches to being under criminal investigation before charge.
Presumption may be displaced by strong public-interest justification, but the starting point favours privacy.
Detailed reasoning required to name a pre-charge suspect.

Topics

PrivacySuspects’ privacyCrime reporting

Acts cited

Human Rights Act 1998

Authoritative source

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

https://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2022/5.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.