Celebrities attempted to stop any stories reaching the public with the use of super injunctions. What quickly became apparent was that the age old practice of gagging the press was now futile in a world where digital communications and social networks were allowing both the foolish and the brave amongst the general public to ignore any legal restrictions and say whatever they wanted.
Love cheat Giggs' damages claim thrown out of court
Last Updated: 03rd March 2012
THE Sun won a battle for press freedom yesterday as a privacy case brought by Ryan Giggs over his affair with Imogen Thomas was thrown out of court.
The ruling — hailed by legal experts as a "spectacular victory for The Sun" — brought to an end our 11-month legal battle with the Man United love rat.
Mr Justice Tugendhat said at the High Court in London: "It cannot be said that the claim for damages could give rise to any significant award."
He added there was "no purpose" in allowing the case to continue.
We reported last April that ex-Miss Wales and Big Brother beauty Imogen, 28, was having a fling with a married Premier League star.
But we were gagged by a court order from identifying him. Welsh winger Giggs, 38, blew a fortune trying to kill off the story — but it backfired spectacularly.
The millionaire star, known in court only as CTB until last month, was soon named and shamed by millions of people on Twitter.
Then last May, Lib Dem MP John Hemming used parliamentary privilege to name Giggs in the Commons.
The player's privacy case claimed The Sun "misused" private information — and demanded damages for distress over RE-PUBLICATION of information in other newspapers and on the internet.
Our barrister Richard Spearman QC said the article did not identify Giggs.
We had behaved "properly" and were not responsible for him being identified elsewhere.
The judge said the case was "notorious".
He went on: "There can be few people in England and Wales who have not heard of this. The initials CTB have been chanted at football matches when Mr Giggs has been playing."
Media lawyer Mark Stephens "This was a spectacular victory for honest, decent and appropriate reporting.
"The Sun, through diligent reporting and excellent reporting, has put a stake through the heart of the super-injunction. Ryan Giggs has done a public service by making clear superinjunctions are not the way forward."
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