The injunction banning the press from naming the footballer involved in the latest sex scandal has turned into a complete farce. The player has been outed in Parliament by the MP John Hemmings as being the Man Utd star Ryan Giggs. He used the protection of Parliament to identify Giggs and this must raise some serious questions about future injunctions and are they actually worth the paper they are written on.
The Internet has brought about extraordinary changes in the way that people communicate and both the Media and the Law need to appreciate this. The courts have tried to suppress information that has been circulating freely on the Internet and the need is there for a complete review of the current protection that an injunction brings. Ryan Giggs seems to have been badly ill-advised as to how to deal with the backlash.
He had an adulterous affair with Imogen Thomas, and while to his credit he has not exploited his family like some other players caught with their pants down, it was a bad move to parade his family around after the game on Sunday. His poor wife and children were pushed into the limelight when Giggs must have known the proverbial was about to hit the fan. This could be classed as a mighty costly own goal by Giggs.
.