Lawfare (HarperCollins Publishers, 2023)
- thenewcastlelawrev
- Sep 26, 2023
- 1 min read
By Sophia Richards
Media law has never been more topical than it has in recent years. In Australia, the public has been gripped by the trial of war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith, as well as the current battle between various networks and Bruce Lehrmann. The UK has seen various lawsuits filed in connection with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. These trials, often against the press, raise various debates: the balance between the right to reputation or privacy and freedom of speech, the dual obligation of media organisations to make a profit while upholding their role as the fourth estate, and how to prevent the law from being weaponised for improper reasons without limiting legal recourse for wrongs.
Robertson’s book Lawfare explores these various debates in the context of the United Kingdom. In his scathing review of the legislative and precedential state of media law in the UK, Robertson argues that the only way to safeguard freedom of speech and the watchdog function of the press is for the government to change the legislation.
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