David Axon (Claimant) Ministry of Defence (Defendant) News Group Newspapers Ltd (Third Party)
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Judge | Mr Justice Nicol |
| Judgment Date | 11 April 2016 |
| Neutral Citation | [2016] EWHC 787 (QB) |
| Court | Queen's Bench Division |
| Docket Number | Case No: HQ14D03651 |
| Date | 11 April 2016 |
[2016] EWHC 787 (QB)
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL
Mr Justice Nicol
Case No: HQ14D03651
Hugh Tomlinson QC and Sara Mansoori (instructed by Carter Ruck) for the Claimant
Christina Michalos and Tom Cleaver (instructed by Government Legal Department) for the Defendant
Antony White QC and Catrin Evans QC (instructed by Wiggin LLP) for the Third Party
Hearing dates: 1 st– 4 th March 2016
Approved Judgment
I direct that pursuant to CPR PD 39A para 6.1 no official shorthand note shall be taken of this Judgment and that copies of this version as handed down may be treated as authentic.
Introduction
This was the trial of an action for misuse of private information and/or breach of confidence. In 2004 the Claimant was the Commanding Officer of a Royal Navy frigate, HMS Somerset ('the Ship'). Complaints were made that he had bullied junior officers on the Ship. An Equal Opportunities Investigation ('the EOI') was conducted which upheld the complaints. The Ship, which was returning from deployment in the Gulf, called in at Gibraltar. On 10 th December 2004 the Claimant was instructed to return to London and hand over temporary responsibility to his Executive Officer. He was given the opportunity to comment on why he should not be permanently relieved of his command. In a letter of 13 th December 2004 he accepted that his position as Commanding Officer had become untenable as a result of the EOI report and he did not oppose his removal. On 14 th December 2004 the Sun newspaper published a story under the headline 'Mutiny on Gulf Warship: "Bully" Captain is kicked off'. On 15 th December 2004 the Claimant was formally removed from his command. He was given a further opportunity to comment on other administrative action which might be taken in consequence of the EOI report. On 15 th December 2004 the Sun published a second article under the headline 'Crew Tell of Abuse: Two Officers Made Claims'. On 17 th December 2004 the Sun published a third article under the headline 'Mutiny Skipper Sacked: Navy Warship Captain Guilty of Bullying'. I have referred to the articles by the Sun, but there was considerable coverage in other sections of the media after the first Sun article.
Subsequently, the Claimant was reassigned to a shore based appointment. On 17 th January 2005 Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, the Commander-in-Chief Fleet, formally expressed his severe displeasure at the Claimant's conduct and administered a censure. The censure would remain on the Claimant's service record for 5 years.
The Claimant resigned his commission and retired from the Royal Navy in June 2007.
In 2013 News Group Newspapers Ltd ('NGN'), the publisher of the Sun, disclosed that it had had a source within the Ministry of Defence (' MOD') who had been providing information for some 8 years and who had, over that time, received a total of about £100,000. Her name was Bettina Jordan-Barber. On 21 st December 2004 she had been paid £5,000 for what was identified in a schedule of payments as two stories: 'Mutiny on Gulf Warship & Blackwatch soldier'. The Claimant was informed by the police on 16 th April 2013 that Ms Jordan-Barber had behaved in this manner. Both Ms Jordan-Barber and John Kay (a Sun reporter under whose byline the stories of 14 th December, 15 th December and 17 th December had been published) were prosecuted for conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office. Ms Jordan-Barber pleaded guilty and, in January 2015, was sentenced by Saunders J. to 12 months imprisonment. Mr Kay pleaded not guilty. He was acquitted by a jury in March 2015.
The Claim Form was issued in September 2014. The Claimant's case is that he had a reasonable expectation of privacy and/or confidentiality in connection with the following information:
a. The fact that members of his crew had complained about his conduct ('the fact of complaints');
b. The fact that an EOI had been carried out into his conduct ('the fact of the EOI');
c. The fact that he had been ordered to leave the Ship whilst it was in Gibraltar and to return to the UK ('the fact of the Claimant's removal from his Ship');
d. The outcome of the EOI, the fact that he was re-appointed and the fact and nature of any possible further administrative sanction against him ('the fact of the outcome of the EOI').
The Claimant says that I should infer that Ms Jordan-Barber disclosed all of this information to the Sun and that she intended that it should be published. It is his case that this was actionable interference with his reasonable expectation of privacy and/or confidentiality and/or his rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights ('ECHR') for which the MOD is vicariously liable.
The Claimant did not, and has not, also sued NGN as a second defendant. However, the MOD has joined NGN as a Third Party (i.e. pursuant to proceedings under CPR Part 20). The MOD denies liability to the Claimant but says that, if it is liable to him, NGN is liable for the same damage and should indemnify it pursuant to the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978 for any damages which it is required to pay the Claimant. NGN joins with the Defendant in denying that the MOD is liable to the Claimant. However, if the MOD is liable, NGN disputes that it, too, is liable to the Claimant. If it is liable, NGN says, in the further alternative, it is not for the 'same damage' and therefore is not liable to indemnify the MOD. The trial which I heard was of these third party proceedings as well as the claim by the Claimant against the Defendant.
The factual background in more detail
The Claimant joined the Royal Navy and had reached the rank of Commander when, in June 2003, he was appointed to be Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset, which is a Type 23 frigate with a crew of about 185. In about May 2004 Somerset was deployed to the Gulf for a 6 month operational tour off the coast of Iraq.
Towards the end of this deployment complaints of bullying by the Claimant reached Commodore James Fanshawe, the Commander of the Devonport Flotilla and the Claimant's immediate superior officer. Commodore Fanshawe in turn consulted with Rear Admiral David Snelson who was then the Chief of Staff (Warfare) based at Fleet Headquarters in Portsmouth. Rear Admiral Snelson decided to commission an EOI which he asked Captain Adrian Bell and Commander Richard Morris to conduct.
Captain Bell, Commander Morris, Commodore Fanshawe and the Ship's Executive Officer (who had been recalled from leave) joined the Ship while it was on its way back from the Gulf and in Civitavecchia, Italy. Captain Bell and Commander Morris interviewed 24 witnesses (including the Claimant and the two complainants). They prepared their report which was dated 6 th December 2004. The report's conclusion was as follows:
'[36] Commander Axon has bullied officers under his command. Despite his verbal admissions he does not appear to accept this and nor does he appear capable of reform in the short to medium term. The current command team cannot function together coherently and nor could it sustain a further period of operations similar in intensity to that it has just conducted. Many of the more senior members of the Wardroom feel that their professional relationship with the Commanding Officer has been fatally compromised by their realisation and subsequent declaration that the behaviour of the Commanding Officer has fallen woefully short of the standards expected and that therefore they can no longer work for him for any period outside of the very short term.
[37] The investigation has formed the view that Commander Axon's position on board HMS Somerset is untenable for all the reasons above.'
The EOI found that the Claimant's bullying behaviour had continued, largely unchecked, for most of 2004.
On 10 th December 2004 Rear Admiral Snelson wrote to the Claimant. After referring to the report (which he enclosed with his letter), he said,
'[3] I endorse the Report's findings and conclusions: As an immediate result, I intend to make an application to the Naval Secretary to remove you from your appointment. I will consider what other administrative action may be appropriate, in due course.
[4] Before I do so, I invite you to make any representations you might have. Any representations, or a statement to the effect that you do not wish to make any representations, should reach my office by 1000 on 14 December 2004.
[5] Furthermore, you are directed to delegate command to your Executive Officer from the time of your arrival alongside in Gibraltar until further notice. Immediately thereafter, you are to leave the ship until the Naval Secretary has made a decision on my application. …'
On the same day (i.e. 10 th December 2004) Jan Swatridge of the Fleet Secretariat wrote a Loose Minute to the Permanent Secretary of the Under Secretary of State ('the Loose Minute'). This said,
' Potential removal from Command appointment – CO HMS Somerset
Issue
1. That, following an Equal Opportunities Investigation into allegations of bullying, the CO HMS Somerset has been ordered to delegate command and return to UK on leave.
Recommendation
2. The Minister is invited to note:
— That administrative action has been initiated which may result in the CO being formally relieved of Command.
— The Defensive Media Lines in place in case this issue becomes public.
— That, because the CO's name is available in a number of...
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