Who? Roddy Chisholm Batten, 42, partner at boutique media firm Clintons.
Why is he in the news? Acted for three of musician Paul Weller’s children in Associated Newspapers’ most recent appeal against a decision to award them £10,000 in damages following the publication by Mail Online of seven unpixelated photos of a family day out.
Associated’s appeal, on the grounds that the pictures were innocuous and taken in a public place, was heard last month, with a decision likely in January.
Thoughts on the case? ‘The pictures of the children were published simply because they have a famous father. Had the photos been pixelated to obscure the children’s faces, the story would not have been devalued and there would be no complaint. There is therefore no question of an image right being established for the first time, as Associated has argued.
‘Paul doesn’t buy into celebrity status and is a very private person – he doesn’t understand why his music should mean his children are thrust into the spotlight.’
Dealing with the media: ‘Hannah Weller, the mother of two of the children, has campaigned to make it a criminal offence to publish unpixelated photos of children. They wanted to make a stand.’
Why become a lawyer? ‘I wasn’t good enough at science to become a doctor.’
Career high: ‘The Weller/Associated decision and also acting for Shane Richie, one of the eight representative claimants at the recent trial of the Mirror Newspapers hacking litigation, at which we secured record damages.’
Career low: ‘As a junior fee-earner, being pressured by an overbearing client into prosecuting a county court application of dubious merit against a vulnerable litigant in person.
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