David Walbank KC examines recent cases of misogyny, sexist violence and coercive control

October 7, 2022

In his latest ‘Crime Brief’ column for the New Law Journal, David Walbank KC analyses the never-ending conflict between competing ECHR rights, played out against a backdrop of major public policy considerations such as national security, public health and the scourge of male violence against women.

Leigh v Metropolitan Police Commissioner [2022] 1 WLR 3141 and Attorney General v British Broadcasting Corporation [2022] 4 WLR 74 were both decided in the context of the ongoing debate about society’s attitude to misogyny, sexist violence and coercive control.

Leigh related to the efforts to organise a vigil on Clapham Common in the week following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving police officer. In AG v BBC, the Attorney applied for an injunction to prevent the broadcast of a programme about a man who was said to have exploited his position as an informant to MI5 to carry out a campaign of physical and psychological abuse against two different female partners.

For the full article, see [New Law Journal]