Weller & Ors v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2015] EWCA Civ 1176. Weller case highlights need for guidance on photography, privacy and the press

Photographs published in the Mail Online of Musician Paul Weller and his young children taken in the street in California were subject to a misuse of private information and breach of Data Protection Act claim against Associated Newspapers Limited. In the Court of Appeal's judgment a number of matters were given consideration, including the application of Californian law, where it was lawful to both take and publish the photographs; whether the claimants had a reasonable expectation of privacy; the relevance of the status of the child and the extent to which matters such as consent play a role. In outlining these issues the case emphasises a need for more clarity on both the taking and publishing of photographs – in relation to the famous and their children, and to children in general.