Press Law involves public statements of all kinds, be they in the classic print media, radio, film, or published in the new electronic media. The legal issue revolves around which statements are admissible and which are not, as well as the matter of the civil or criminal consequences of inadmissible statements.
Press Law is determined by the conflict area between freedom of speech on the one hand and the individual’s right to privacy on the other. The press can invoke the fundamental right of press freedom that enjoys constitutional status, which is why the press is frequently described as the “Fourth Estate“. But the basic right to privacy of those concerned also enjoys constitutional status. Should these two fundamental positions collide, the relevant interests in each individual case must be extensively weighed and evaluated.
Disputes in the area of Press Law are generally directed at omission claims, rectification, refutation, injunction, and indemnification, among other things
Most recently, indemnification in the form of intangible damages has often been the subject of judicial disputes.
Another pertinent area of Press Law involves the right of reply, which is totally independent from issues of willful misrepresentation, or a breach of duty or trust, and which gives the affected party the opportunity of portraying the facts differently than presented in the corresponding press coverage. This calls for specific and rigorous matters of form, as well as proceeding within strict time limits. Here, we act with speed and efficiency on behalf of our clients.
