Court hears Avaaz’s challenge to Ofcom finding that the Murdochs are “fit and proper”
Avaaz calls Ofcom’s Sky/Fox decision irrational, says it must be quashed

On 19 and 20th June, the High Court in London heard an unprecedented legal challenge by global citizens movement Avaaz against UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom. Avaaz is seeking to overturn the regulator’s decision that Fox and the Murdoch family can be trusted to fully control Sky Plc.

If the judge rules in Avaaz’s favour on this judicial review, Ofcom will have to throw out its June 2017 “fit and proper” ruling, which cleared the Murdochs. The judge reserved his judgement today, and his ruling is expected in the coming weeks.

In bringing this case, Avaaz has sought to raise wider issues around the way our regulator failed to act as a guardian of the media rules aimed at protecting the public and instead ignored the Murdochs’ long history of hacking, harassment, and hush money payments.

In his closing statement before Hon. Justice Supperstone, George Peretz QC, representing Avaaz, told the court that “Ofcom behaved less like a lion under the throne and more like a pussycat” in its role as a guardian of democratic life when conducting its “fit and proper” assessment last year.

Alex Wilks, Avaaz Campaign Director and witness in the case said, “Ofcom let the world’s most powerful media mogul off the hook. We’re optimistic that the court will hold that Ofcom didn’t do enough to carry out its legal responsibility to protect British broadcasting from dangerous media owners, and didn’t dig deep enough into the Murdochs’ dodgy practices.”

This is the first time that Ofcom has been challenged in court over its “fit and proper” decision-making. Avaaz’s argument is that Ofcom took unjustified short-cuts in assessing the overwhelming evidence of serious wrongdoing, poor corporate governance, gross bias, and inaccurate reporting on Fox News.

Avaaz has campaigned against the Murdochs’ Sky bid since it was launched in December 2016. In this case Avaaz is represented by George Peretz QC and Azeem Suterwalla, specialists in judicial review at Monckton Chambers, supported by Ingrid Gubbay and her team at Hausfeld solicitors.

In a separate process, Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority have found the Murdochs’ bid for Sky TV to be against the public interest on the grounds of media plurality. Culture Secretary Matt Hancock responded yesterday with proposals for hiving off Sky News to address the plurality issues.

About Avaaz:

Avaaz is a people-powered movement with 46-million members around the world. We campaign on a range of issues like climate change and human rights and believe a free and fair media is a cornerstone of any democracy. That’s why we are fighting the Murdochs’ corrosive, corrupt dominance over our vital democratic discourse.

For information & interview requests:

LONDON: Alaphia Zoyab, +44 7738 335 680 / alaphia@avaaz.org