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The publisher of the Daily Mail has won a court battle in the European Court of Human Rights – despite endlessly calling for Britain to leave the treaty.
Last month, the tabloid newspaper set out Boris Johnson’s case for why there is a “strong case” for a referendum on Britain’s membership to the ECHR.
But that didn’t stop it running to the court about its own human rights, which they say were breached by a requirement to pay “success fees” to lawyers representing people it had paid damages to.
Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL) complained to the European court of human rights that it was “excessive and unfair” for it to have to pay such fees to plaintiffs who have engaged lawyers to take cases on a no win, no fee agreement.
They argued that making it liable for success fees breached article 10 of the European convention of human rights, which protects freedom of expression.
The court found in its favour and ordered the UK government to pay ANL €15,000 (£12,450) in costs and expenses within three months.
The publisher had also sought damages of just less than £320,000 in damages from the UK government, which it said was the total paid in success fees when an additional settlement was added to the amount awarded by the judge.
The court reserved judgment on this matter, inviting written submissions from both parties within six months.
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