Playing Away from Home: Sportspeople, Privacy and the Law

Abstract:     
The private lives of sportspeople are of considerable interest to many media outlets and their audiences, yet sportspeople may not always be able to protect their privacy adequately by legal means. Focusing on Australian and United Kingdom law, this article examines how sportspeople can indirectly protect their privacy through defamation law. It also examines how breach of confidence and the proposed introduction of a statutory cause of action for invasion of privacy in Australia. Finally, it analyses the recent cases of Terry v Persons Unknown [2010] EWHC 119 (QB) and ‘the St Kilda schoolgirl scandal’ to explore the legal and practical difficulties sportspeople confront in protecting their privacy and managing their image.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 27

Keywords: Media law, Sports law, Sportspeople, Australia, United Kingdom, Defamation, Reputation, Breach of confidence, Law reform

JEL Classification: K10, K30

Accepted Paper Series