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4 unusual facts about parliamentary privilege


Parliamentary privilege

This allows Members to raise questions or debate issues which could slander an individual, interfere with an ongoing court case or threaten to reveal state secrets, such as in the Zircon affair or several cases involving the Labour MP Tam Dalyell.

Fred Goodwin v News Group Newspapers Ltd and VBN and CTB v News Group Newspapers (Ryan Giggs) - Right of the media to report on anonymised court injunctions; parliamentary privilege used to allow the media to report the existence of injunctions and the parties involved 2011

Ryan Giggs, a footballer, was suspected of committing adultery with Imogen Thomas, a Big Brother contestant, sought an injunction to prevent the media talking about the issue.

The Tangled Web

Sir Humphrey receives an invitation to appear before a House of Commons Privileges Committee to answer the allegations concerning Hugh Halifax.


Bobby Storey

On January 11, 2005, Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for South Antrim David Burnside told the British House of Commons under parliamentary privilege that Storey was head of intelligence for the Irish Republican Army.

Edward Floyd

Charles Howard McIlwain commented that the claim made by the Commons for jurisdiction under parliamentary privilege was "the most extensive and the least justifiable, perhaps, in all parliamentary history; and the far-fetched arguments brought forward in debates in support of the claim are of great interest", citing the record in Thomas Barrington's diary of the parliament.

Franca Arena

Long recognised as a colourful and influential figure in New South Wales politics, Arena shot to national prominence in 1996 when, under Parliamentary privilege, she named retired judge David Yeldham and former New South Wales MP Frank Arkell as potential paedophiles.

Martin Ferris

In February 2005, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell, using parliamentary privilege, named Ferris, as well as Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness, as members of the IRA Army Council, an allegation that has been denied by Ferris and the Sinn Féin leadership.


see also