The Spectator magazine has been fined and ordered to pay compesation to the parents of Stephen Lawrence after publishing an article that jeopardised the trial of two men later convicted of the teenager’s murder.
The magazine’s publishers admitted breaching reporting restrictions whey they printed a piece by columnist Rod Liddle while the trial was taking place at the Old Bailey last November.
In the article Mr Liddle, who is a freelance contributor to the magazine, described defendants Gary Dobson and David Norris as “white trash” and referred to prior criminal convictions.
The high profile trial had to be temprarily halted while the judge Mr Justice Treacy took steps to ensure none of the jury had seen the article in question.
Dobson and Norris were convicted of the 1993 murder in January and were jailed for life.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court the magazine’s publisher, Spectator 1828 Ltd. was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 each to Stephen’s parents Doreen and Neville Lawrence after admitted a charge of breaching a court order made under Section 83 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003.
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Thats the thing isnt it?
Its idiotic to say anything about people prior to be brought to trial, esp if it is based on personal opinion.
Theres no doubt these guys were guilty whatsoever but! To be fair there has to be that of no influences and based around facts that will prove or disprove.
I oppose rules and laws but respect there are evil doers out there that need to be removed from civilisation.
To influence was stupid and unjust, just as we sit and boil over opinionations of the media about us there is the obviousness here that could have allowed two callous racists to have walked free.
Opinionating is not news, write the news and allow the public to opinionate thats good journalism, saying what you want others to agree with, as was done, can be damaging.
Stephen Lawrences parents could have seen their sons murderers walk free.
The magazines editor should have known better than to allow the white trash comment and such, that merely expressed a turn on white racism.
There is no right in calling racists names of which to use a racist expression, how damn ludicrous!
People/journalists need reprot stories not become judge and jury.
We all, know how wrong that it is .
Influencial negativity is very wrong!