ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an understanding that human rights are part of every aspect of UK law and that the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom 1950, known as ‘the Convention’, has been enshrined in UK law by way of the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA). It then deals with concepts of freedom of expression and press freedom. The common law principle of ‘confidentiality’ involves a breach of confidential information whereby a person who receives valuable or sensitive secret information in confidence owes a ‘duty of confidence’ neither to disclose nor make use of that information for any purpose other than that for which the disclosure was made. In English law the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and the Children Act 1989 protect the upbringing and if necessary, anonymity of a child going through family court proceedings, such as divorce or child maintenance proceedings in the family courts.
