Judge keeps woman’s High Court privacy ban in place

A High Court judge has rejected an application by a businesswoman to lift a temporary injunction which prohibits her from publicising or disclosing information about her affair with a married man with teenage children.

Mr Justice Tugendhat said the balance in the case fell in favour of a temporary interference with the woman's freedom of speech.

The woman, referred to as GFD, a Belgian living in Britain, had asked the court to lift an injunction against her which the judge had issued on a without-notice application on June 29, and which banned her from disclosing the claimant's private information and from harassing him.

She applied to lift the order, saying the claimant, a wealthy businessman referred to as EWQ, had not made full disclosure to the court, and that many more people were aware of their relationship than he had suggested.

The couple had had a sexual relationship for many months, followed by occasional sexual relations, and EWQ had paid the woman various sums of money over a period of time.

After the relationship ended, GFD threatened to tell EWQ's wife, business associates and others about it, demanded that he should regularly pay her sums of money, and threatened to visit his office and home.

EWQ applied for an interim injunction, claiming that GFD was threatening to publish information in relation to which he has a reasonable expectation of privacy, which included the fact of and details about their relationship, details of his relationship with his wife and children, and the fact of and details about his other sexual relationships.