European Court Rules Against Mosely

Update: Max Mosley; enemy of the common man.


The European Court of Human Rights ruled yesterday against Max Mosely's attempt to gag the press. The fundamental component in this little saga by the way, is people chucking their weight about and it is that which is the genesis of this tale.

When Martin Brundle, then ITV's commentator for Formula One, wrote an article for the Times questioning the style of Mosely's autocratic rule of F1 and his far from subtle jihad against all things McLaren, Mosely, as is the wont of megalomaniacs, took umbrage and issued a writ against Brundle and the offending newspaper, The Times. Brundle responds.
(Link dead)
Before I say more about the wisdom of Mosley issuing a writ against News Corp, proprietor Rupert, the dirty digger, Murdoch, and the subsequent outcome, let me offer this newly discovered piece where the writer shows a canny degree of insight.

Taken from the comments of a motor sports forum, and it is the last paragraph that we need to pay particular attention to.

There's another point which hasn't been touched on yet.

The Sunday Times is part of a large media empire - News Corp - owned by Rupert Murdoch.

In the UK, News Corp has a serious level of clout. Outspoken support of various parties and criticism of others by its papers has previously influenced election results. Its papers also helped increase public opinion for the war in Iraq in the UK by dripfeeding stories about Saddam's atrocities and WMD through both its down and upmarket newspapers.

The closest analogy I can think of elsewhere is Ferrari deciding to sue a Berlusconi owned newspaper or TV channel in Italy. Whether or not the FIA has a strong case is irrelevant, its taking on a very powerful organisation owned by someone with considerably more global clout than Max who also has a serious inability to deal with people who have differing views from him.

After the FIA announced it was suing the Sunday Times, the paper let Brundle write two more articles that, if anything, are even more critical of the FIA and also published another article written by a different journalist that was equally scathing. Its safe to say they aren't being intimidated by the FIA unlike ITV.

What will be interesting is whether News Corp decides to have a close look at the FIA and Max Mosely himself to see what skeletons there are hidden in his cupboards. News Corp practically destroyed the Conservative party in the UK a decade ago by releasing stories about corruption and sleaze within the party. If Max didn't like Jackie Stewarts comments about him then Rupert Murdoch has the ability to make him feel like a brain tumour is a birthday present. Lets hope for Max's sake he hasn't made dodgy deals in the past or had affairs he doesn't want people to know about. source

Skeletons in cupboards indeed, and of those Mad Max had his share, and a few months later they were going to come out of the closet, all singing, all dancing on the front page of the News of the World; proprietor, you've guessed it, the dirty digger himself.

Rather than re-hashing stuff, for there is much I want to post today, let me send you to a post that I wrote at the time under he heading, Christmas Comes Early For Ron And Martin.

Nothing became of Mosely's suite against News Corp by the way, it just faded away. Pitpass suite dropped

For an insight to Mosely's character and how it reflected in his dealings with Ron Dennis, CEO of McLaren, cast your eye over this little tirade. Mosley Sends Severe Letter to Dennis A tad less than graceful you might agree.

But that pales in comparison to Mosely's shear vindictiveness and abuse of his position, demonstrated in this shabby attempt to block, through the FIA, Martin Brundle's proposed move to the BBC as part of their new team when they took over coverage of F1 from ITV. FIA trying to ban Martin Brundle?


Another opinion found on the web.

I asked a friend of mine who has worked for Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation whether it was likely their revelations about Mosley in the News of the World was a response to the FIA’s decision to sue The Sunday Times (because of Martin Brundle’s columns on McLaren and Ferrari).

He chuckled at my naivete in even asking the question. Of course that’s what happened… Ron Dennis speaks, Max Mosley sues

And before we move on, a little titillation.

The reason we love such cases is that the British establishment is at its magnificent best when debating sex, in its studiedly dispassionate style. The Lady Chatterley trial in 1960 set the benchmark for this irresistible combination of gravitas and salaciousness, as when prosecution counsel Mervyn Griffith-Jones asked whether the novel was "a book you would wish your wife or servants to read". Max Mosley case: A spanking good spectacle

Max Mosley loses European court privacy law bid

Ex-motorsports boss Max Mosley has lost his European Court of Human Rights bid to force newspapers to warn people before exposing their private lives.

He said the Strasbourg verdict was "disappointing" but he may appeal, to keep fighting for tighter privacy laws.

In 2008, the UK High Court awarded him £60,000 damages after ruling the News of the World invaded his right to privacy by reporting on his sex life.

Victory might have led to new privacy laws, which press bosses oppose.

Mr Mosley, 71, said of the judgement: "[I'm] obviously disappointed, but it's satisfying that they've been extremely critical of the News of the World.

"I think they've underestimated the danger from the UK tabloids but obviously they're the judges and one has to respect their decision."
Super-injunctions

Mr Mosley won his 2008 High Court battle after a judge ruled there was no justification for the News of the World's front-page article about him paying five women to take part in a sado-masochistic orgy.

The tabloid reported that the orgy involving Mr Mosley, the son of fascist leader Oswald Mosley, had Nazi overtones, but this was rejected by the judge.

Although he was awarded £60,000 damages, everyone had learned the details of his sexual preferences, and he argued money alone could not restore his reputation.

He said once a story had been published, you could not "un-publish" it, and the damage had been done. blah blah

What I do find more interesting than the news of Mosely's defeat in the European Court of Human Rights, is this five minute, but comprehensive interview with Jeremy Paxman, where among other things discussed, are Twitter, nutters and injunctions. more

The ''few thousand pounds'' quoted by Mosely as being the cost of a super-injunction, is I am led to believe, about a hundred grand.



More graphics at, Mad Max's F1 Megalomania