View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Archive content
March 23, 2005updated 22 Nov 2022 2:49pm

Reporter wins right to name teenager

By Press Gazette

By Sarah Lagan

A trainee reporter on the Accrington Observer stood up in court and
successfully challenged a reporting restriction so he could name a
teenage tearaway in the paper.

Simon Tucker, 23, was reporting on the case of a 16-year-old who had
been made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order in May 2003
when he was described as a “one-boy crimewave”.

At the time the
bench agreed the boy should be named, which the paper did. But, after
he broke the order by seeing friends he should not have been
associating with, he came before the Youth Court where reporting
restrictions would normally apply.

Thacker, who has been a
reporter on the paper for six months, argued the youth had already been
named after the original offence and referred to a similar case where
justices agreed the defendant should be named.

The defence
solicitor contested the application because of the effect identifying
the boy would have on his family. After retiring, the magistrates said
they had balanced everyone’s interests and agreed to lift the
restrictions.

Editor Mervyn Kay said: “It was clearly in the
public interest to name this youth as having broken his anti-social
behaviour order and Simon did very well in arguing the case.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network