ECHR rulings allow media to publish stories of public interest as long as privacy rights have been considered/balanced

The European Court of Human Rights issued two long-awaited decisions today in cases that pit media rights against individuals’ privacy interests. From the court’s press release:

The European Court of Human Rights has today delivered two Grand Chamber judgments, in the cases of Axel Springer AG v. Germany (application no. 39954/08) and Von Hannover v. Germany (no. 2) (application nos. 40660/08 and 60641/08), which are both final.1

In the case Axel Springer AG, the Court held, by a majority, that there had been:
A violation of Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention on Human Rights

In the case Von Hannover (no. 2), the Court held, unanimously, that there had been:
No violation of Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the Convention

Both cases concerned the publication in the media of articles and, in the second case, of photos depicting the private life of well-known people.

Read more of the press release here. I expect to see a lot of media coverage as these rulings are a “win” for media.