Judge calls for privacy law in New Zealand

Following the UK Government's rejection of proposals by a House of Commons select committee that it should legislate on privacy, a judge in New Zealand has asked the New Zealand parliament to create a new privacy law.

In the case of Hosking v Runting, involving unauthorised pictures that were taken of a New Zealand TV presenter's twin daughters, New Zealand High Court judge Mr Justice Randerson said: "The protection of privacy...does not readily lend itself to law reform through the courts, and ideally any reform of the law should proceed with full input from the public."

David Sherborne, a barrister at 5 Raymond Buildings who specialises in privacy and media law, said: "It appears that the New Zealand court has put a very firm brake on developing any separate tort of privacy. It is now up to the New Zealand parliament to give the green light to any new extension of this area of the law."