Jockey Club loses court battle with BBC
The Jockey Club has lost a High Court battle with the BBC to stop them broadcasting confidential information
The Jockey Club has lost a High Court battle to stop the BBC’s Panorama programme broadcasting confidential information obtained by a former employee
On Friday 13 September the judge, Mr Justice Gray told the court that: “it was in the public interest” to use secret documents “because of the existenceor apparent existence of wide-scale corruption within racing.”
Widely regarded as a serious current affairs programme Panorama now plan to broadcast their documentary later this year. It is expected to depict the Jockey Club in an unfavourable light, particularly highlighting links to gambling groups in Asia, race fixing and bribery.
The Jockey Club employed Roger Buffham as head of their security and during his time with the racing regulator, he obtained documents that he believed supported claims of corruption within the racing industry.
Roger Buffham left the Jockey Club last year and showed the documents to the BBC, despite having received a £50,000 pay off for his silence regarding confidential information about his job.
Although the Jockey Club took out an order in May preventing Mr Buffham revealing confidential information, Mr Justice Gray ruled that the BBC had not been a party to it.
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The Jockey Club expressed disappointment at the High Court’s decision, but as yet they have not made an application to take the case to the Court of Appeal.
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