Home / Civil Law / Media and Communications / Harassment Law
Harassment Law
CONTACT THE CLERKS
What Defines Harassment?
Harassment is when a person causes distress and/or alarm through their behaviour. Harassment includes actions taken and words spoken.
This behaviour must happen on more than one occasion for it to be deemed harassment. However, it does not have to be the same type of behaviour. For instance, it could be a phone call intended to cause you distress and a letter with the same intention. The individual incidents can happen months apart; they do not need to have happened within a specified time frame.
Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, harassment is both a criminal and civil action. This means someone accused of harassment can be prosecuted in the criminal courts, yet also have action taken against them in the civil courts.
The civil court can make an order or injunction that the harasser must stop their behaviour. If they breach this injunction this then becomes a criminal offence, and the harasser can be prosecuted.
Harassment in a chat room or online is referred to as ‘cyber bullying’. In such a case the harassed should initially try to stop the harasser from being able to make contact, for example by blocking them or by reporting them to their provider. The harassed should try to keep evidence of online conversations, such as screenshots. If the bullying does not cease, the police should then be contacted.
The court will consider whether a reasonable person, with the same information that the accused has, would consider this behaviour harassment. Various forms of communication can constitute harassment, most commonly messages via social media, text or phone. It can also include loitering outside a person’s home, damage to property and acts of violence. The police may decide that they will not take any further legal action against the accused, and instead give him/her an informal harassment warning. If there are further reports in the future, the police may then take legal action. Should the matter proceed to court, the court may make a restraining order to protect the harassed, which can be made regardless of whether the accused is found guilty.
Harassment Cases at St Pauls Chambers
Barristers at St Pauls Chambers have a wealth of experience in harassment claims. We can represent you in court in all areas of harassment matters at every stage of the proceedings. With harassment cases, it is essential to seek advice as early as possible.

Barristers
FILTER BY EXPERTISE
Please select on of the suggested variants.
KCs
-
Joint Head of Chambers
Sam Green KC
Call: 1998
Silk: 2015
-
Associate Tenant
Nigel Sangster KC
Call: 1976
Silk: 1998
-
Richard Barraclough KC
Call: 1980
Silk: 2003
-
Simon Myerson KC
Call: 1986
Silk: 2003
-
Bryan Cox KC
Call: 1979
Silk: 2005
-
Associate Tenant
Jane Bewsey KC
Call: 1986
Silk: 2010
-
Simon Bickler KC
Call: 1988
Silk: 2011
-
Associate Tenant
John Harrison KC
Call: 1994
Silk: 2016
-
Jonathan Sandiford KC
Call: 1992
Silk: 2020
-
Associate Tenant
Cameron Brown KC
Call: 1998
Silk: 2020
-
Nicholas Worsley KC
Call: 1998
Silk: 2023
There are no KCs suiting filter condition
Members
-
Joint Head of Chambers
Denise Breen-Lawton
Call: 2000
-
Jeremy Barnett
Call: 1980
-
Philip Standfast
Call: 1980
-
Nikki Saxton
Call: 1992
-
Robert Smith
Call: 1995
-
Associate Tenant
David Hughes
Call: 1997
-
Derek Duffy
Call: 1997
-
Alasdair Campbell
Call: 1999
-
Andrew Stranex
Call: 2000
-
Jane Brady
Call: 2001
-
James Bourne-Arton
Call: 2001
-
Danielle Graham
Call: 2003
-
Hal Watson
Call: 2003
-
James Lake
Call: 2005
-
Andrew Nixon
Call: 2006
-
Helen Chapman
Call: 2006
-
Voldi Welch
Call: 2008
-
Associate Tenant
Hannah Hinton
Call: 2008
-
Angus MacDonald
Call: 2009
-
Sophie Mitchell
Call: 2010
-
Hannah Lynch
Call: 2011
-
Stephen Flint
Call: 2012
-
George Hazel-Owram
Call: 2012
-
Kristina Goodwin
Call: 2013
-
Stephen Elphick
Call: 2014
-
Charlie Greenwood
Call: 2015
-
Frances Pencheon
Call: 2015
-
Jessica Heggie
Call: 2017
-
Harry Crowson
Call: 2018
-
Temitayo Dasaolu
Call: 2018
-
Ayman Khokhar
Call: 2018
-
Emma Handley
Call: 2019
-
Matthew Moore-Taylor
Call: 2020
There are no Members suiting filter condition
Blog
The Latest Harassment Law News and Cases
Follow our blog for further information on the latest Harassment Law news and cases.
3y ago
Seminar 1st October 2019 | Defamation, harassment and privacy: an overview
Defamation, Harassment and Privacy Actions Seminar hosted at the Leeds Law Society and presented by Sophie Mitchell on Tuesday 1st …
Seminar 1st October 2019 | Defamation, harassment and privacy: an overview Read More »