ABSTRACT

Publishers and others who wish to reveal sensitive commercial, governmental or private information should be aware that publication of such information may be unlawful. The law of confidence protects information which is confidential to a person or a company. The UK courts have also applied the law of confidence to prevent the disclosure of private information. The law in this area has developed rapidly since the enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998 which brought in the right of privacy and the right of freedom of expression into UK law. This chapter first addresses confidential information before discussing the expanding area of privacy.