Injunction Timeline: How Events Unfolded
Monday 23 May 2011 16:02, UK
Here is a timeline of key events in the debate about injunctions and superinjunctions.
'Super' means the existence of the order is supposed to be unreportable - until for example an MP mentions it in the House of Commons.
The vast majority of injunctions referred to in recent media stories are injunctions and their existence can be reported but their subjects, or some of them, cannot be identified.
2009:
October - An injunction brought against the Guardian newspaper by oil trader Trafigura - which faced allegations of dumping toxic waste in Ivory Coast - is lifted.
The order covered a parliamentary question asked by Paul Farrelly MP, leading to debate over where the line should be drawn between freedom of expression and privacy.
It had stopped the newspaper identifying the MP and details of the question.
2010:
February - The Culture, Media and Sport Committee expresses "grave concern" about the power of superinjunctions and the possible effect on MPs' freedom of speech.
April - Lord Neuberger, Master of the Rolls, sets up a committee to examine the use of injunctions and superinjunctions.
August - An England footballer wins an injunction to stop claims about his private life being made public.
The gagging order, granted by High Court judge Mr Justice Kenneth Parker, bans allegations of a "sexual liaison, encounter or relationship" appearing in the media.
The order follows two other England international players being granted similar injunctions to block reports of claims about their private lives.
None of the footballers can be named under the terms of the orders.
2011:
March - Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming used the protection of parliamentary privilege to reveal the existence of an injunction that banned a man from talking about court proceedings in which he was involved, including to his MP.
Mr Hemming also revealed that former RBS chief Sir Fred Goodwin had obtained an injunction banning the media from calling him a banker.
April 14 - The Sun reports that former Big Brother contestant Imogen Thomas had a relationship with an unnamed married Premier League footballer.
grants an injunction preventing the naming of the footballer in the media.
April 26 - BBC journalist Andrew Marr reveals he obtained a superinjunction to prevent reporting of an extra-marital affair.
May 8 - A Twitter user publishes names of people claimed to have obtained injunctions, highlighting the problem of gagging orders potentially being ignored by the international online community.
On this list is a married actor allegedly connected to who was herself involved in claims of an affair with footballer Wayne Rooney.
May 19 - Liberal Democrat peer Lord Stoneham reveals during a debate in the House of Lords that former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Sir Fred Goodwin obtained an injunction to stop reporting of the details of a "sexual relationship".
May 22 - Scottish newspaper the Sunday Herald publishes a picture on its front page of the footballer allegedly linked to Thomas.
May 23 - describes privacy rulings against newspapers as "unsustainable" and "unfair".
The Sun fails in its attempt to have the court injunction on the footballer known as CTB to be lifted.
MP John Hemming, speaking in the House of Commons, names Manchester United's Ryan Giggs as the footballer at the centre of the Twitter row.