Hosking in battle over baby photos

By LOUISA CLEAVE

Broadcaster Mike Hosking is taking legal action to prevent the publication of paparazzi photographs of his children.

Hosking left wife Marie and their twins Ruby and Bella in August.

Photos of Marie Hosking and the 18-month-old girls taken in Newmarket were sold to New Idea, which was due to publish them at Christmas but agreed not to after Hosking went to court to obtain an injunction.

The gagging order is due to be discussed in court on Thursday, but before then the Commonwealth Press Union and the publisher ACP Media will ask to join New Idea owner Pacific Magazines in fighting the ban.

Commonwealth Press Union lawyer Bruce Gray said the case was a contest between freedom of expression and a claim of right to privacy.

The photographs were taken in a public place, he said. There were additional issues, such as the extent to which people with a celebrity profile can pick and choose the time and way they were depicted in the media.

Hosking is not commenting on the action while it is before the courts. He has hired TVNZ counsel William Akel to argue his case.

Hosking is understood to have acted independently because he feels the privacy of his children was invaded, and is paying his own legal bill.

TV3 newsreader John Campbell was unhappy when Woman's Day published photos of his baby daughter taken by a paparazzo who snapped the family during a public outing.

Campbell asked the magazine not to publish the photos but they did appear.

He later said he hoped never to have dealings again with anyone involved in that decision.