London’s High Court rejects bid to block sexual-misconduct reporting

London’s High Court rejected a request by a well-known British man, identified in proceedings as PPT, to stop ITN and The Guardian publishing sexual-misconduct allegations against him. He had sought a permanent injunction, a court order blocking the proposed reporting.

Judge Nicklin granted PPT permission to appeal, and a temporary order preventing him from being named remains in place pending the appeal.

The arguments before the court

The proposed reporting concerns allegations that PPT abused his power to engage in inappropriate sexual activities with girls and young women. PPT denies the allegations. Nicklin said the court had not determined whether any of them were true and that dismissing the request did not approve any publication the defendants might make.

PPT’s lawyers argued that publication would pose a serious suicide risk to him. The lawyer for ITN and The Guardian argued that publishing the allegations and his identity was in the public interest.

PPT invoked human-rights protections covering life, inhuman or degrading treatment, and private and family life. The Guardian said Nicklin found that the conditions for blocking publication under those provisions were not met and that protecting PPT from harm fell to the state’s health services.