Hacked Off chief hired by Paradise Papers firm

THE head of the campaign group behind the House of Lords vote for tighter media controls has been hired to represent the offshore law firm at the centre of the Paradise Papers controversy.

Hugh Tomlinson QC is the chairman of Hacked Off, which helped to draw up a series of amendments – designed to muzzle the Press – which were voted in by peers last week.

He has now been hired by Appleby, the law firm suing the BBC and the Guardian for ‘ breach of confidence’ after they published secrets from the so- called Paradise Papers. The trove of 13 million documents helped to lift the lid on tax avoidance by some of the world’s best-known figures, in an exposé widely praised as an exemplary piece of public-interest journalism.

However, Appleby is now seeking a permanent injunction to stop anyone from publishing further information based on the leaked documents.

According to the so-called ‘cab rank rule’, barristers are obliged to take instructions from clients regardless of who they are, as long as the barrister has the time and expertise to work for them. But Mr Tomlinson’s appointment has raised eyebrows, given it sets the QC up in open opposition to a piece of journalism widely recognised for its public-interest credentials.

Baroness Hollins, who tabled one of the controversial amendments the House of Lords has backed, told The Times that Hacked Off contributed research and advice, but Mr Tomlinson was not involved himself.

The Paradise Papers were obtained by German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with 95 outlets worldwide. It has not revealed its source, but Appleby claims the documents were stolen by hackers, adding: ‘ This case is... (about) breach of confidentiality including most importantly in legally privileged documents.’