- Law unto themselves again… - 12th January 2026
- Headline news - 9th January 2026
- Huwge mistake by a TV celebrity - 8th January 2026
During 23 years with the BBC, and in a 42 year journalistic career (when he was trained to use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon), for our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry, legal issues have always been paramount, with stories ‘run past the lawyer’, and this is now highlighted by news that Brooklyn Beckham has told his famous parents only to contact him through his lawyer.
It is never a good idea to go to the law when there is a feud.
It is very expensive because lawyers put the clock on as soon as you walk through the door, their work is lengthy, and they charge an incredible amount just for sending a letter.
Unfortunately it appears that Brooklyn Beckham may have ignored this rule (I hope he doesn’t send ME a letter!) when it came to a feud he is having with his parents Sir David and Victoria Beckham.
He sent them a legal notice warning they can now contact him only via lawyers, with the extraordinary “desist” letter also instructing them not to “tag” him on social media.
A breach of the legal letter was the reason why Brooklyn Beckham blocked his parents online after mum Victoria ‘liked’ a roast chicken video he shared on Instagram.
This may sound absurd, but the blocking apparently followed weeks of frustration from Brooklyn and his wife, Nicola, who believe their requests for private reconciliation were ignored.
Luckily (perhaps unlike Brooklyn) I am in the fortunate position of having to take professional legal advice only occasionally, because after many years in journalism I know so much about the law that all my stories are completely watertight already when published.
This, however, does not stop people who know FAR less about the law, from threatening me with legal action, because (presumably) it sounds good.
I imagine big legalese words might scare other people, but after receiving so many fatuous complaints through my career, I know that they are completely meaningless.
When I presented the BBC Cymru Wales TV Current Affairs programme Week In, Week Out (WIWO) we were joined by a (free) corporation lawyer almost every Monday before the programme went out on the Tuesday, to check every single word of script, and each frame of footage.
Now on The Eye I must make these checks myself, knowing that there will be ridiculous fulminatory gripes about taking court action, following almost every piece I write!
Let me give you an example – this one from a South Wales conspiracy theorist in the Summer.
“I am currently preparing an evidence file, with legal input, for submission to South Wales Police (this would be a civil case anyway, NOT a criminal one!)“.
She has also proclaimed menacingly: “I am writing to formally notify you of my intention to pursue legal action against you for defamation in connection with articles published about me on The Eye website, and to raise serious concerns that your conduct may also constitute harassment under the Online Safety Act 2023
“To avoid formal legal proceedings, I require the following actions to be taken within 14days of the date of this letter:
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- Immediate removal of all articles about me from The Eye website.
- A written undertaking that you will not republish any material concerning me”.
In an earlier notice to The Eye she said: “The tone and content of… articles are overtly malicious and have caused significant harm to my reputation, hindering my ability to secure employment and professional engagements. As a self-employed single parent, this defamation has severely impacted my livelihood and mental well-being. Despite previous requests for removal (There had been NONE!), these damaging articles remain accessible, perpetuating undue harm (The Eye’s lawyers have informed us that any harm or reputational damage comes from her OWN behaviour!)
(We have been advised that a ‘right of reply’ was not needed in these circumstances).
“Failure to comply with this request may constitute a violation of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), subjecting you to potential regulatory action and penalties.” (Our lawyers specialising in libel and data protection rules [GDPR] were consulted before publication, and all information is in the public domain).
This sort of empty threat is at least free, unlike what Brooklyn has resorted to…
Details of Phil’s, astonishing decades-long journalistic career (when legal checks were often made on stories), as he was gripped by the rare neurological condition Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in an important book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now.
Tomorrow – how police officers could be about to turn to new technology meeting massive challenges, with a pilot being conducted by the biggest force in Wales – as they are plagued by a series of enormous scandals, clear up rates have become appalling, and public confidence has reached near an all time low.
