High Court rejects David Walliams' bid to stay anonymous in abuse allegations
The High Court ruled that comedian David Walliams could not obtain a permanent injunction to keep his name hidden in an ongoing investigation, allowing media outlets to publish the allegations.
A High Court judge dismissed David Walliams' attempt to secure a permanent injunction that would have kept his identity concealed in an investigation into alleged misconduct. The court found that the state had already taken steps to protect Walliams, who is currently detained in a hospital for his own safety, and therefore could not assume additional responsibility for his psychiatric care or security.
Walliams' legal team argued that publishing the allegations would threaten his life and breach his human rights under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The judge, Mr Justice Nicklin, ruled that the duty to protect the comedian lay with medical professionals, not the courts, and that the media's right to freedom of expression outweighed the unproven risk.
The judge noted that if the published claims are false, Walliams could pursue a defamation claim against the journalists. He gave Walliams until 16:30 GMT on Monday to submit grounds for an appeal, but no papers were filed.
"There is a degree of urgency – the court has moved exceptionally quickly to accommodate this trial and produce this judgment," Mr Justice Nicklin said.
Walliams' counsel, Sara Mansoori KC, described the case as raising "novel issues of law based on unusual facts" and requested additional time due to her client's vulnerable condition. The decision underscores the balance courts seek between protecting individuals and upholding press freedom in matters deemed to be in the public interest.