Court win for Naomi Campbell

Supermodel Naomi Campbell won her appeal Thursday in her privacy case against a British newspaper that published photographs of her leaving a drug counseling meeting.

Reversing a lower court decision, the Law Lords, Britain’s highest court, ruled 3-2 that the Daily Mirror invaded Campbell’s privacy. The lords also overturned an order requiring her to pay the newspaper’s legal costs, estimated at $630,000.

Campbell had asked the panel, which sits in the upper chamber of Parliament, to reverse an October 2002 ruling that the Daily Mirror was justified in publishing a picture of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting because Campbell had previously lied to the media about her drug use.

“Miss Campbell is delighted by today’s verdict,” said her lawyer, Keith Schilling. “This is not only a vindication for her personally, but more importantly it represents a real advancement for the rights of people to maintain important elements of their privacy, particularly when relating to therapy.”

Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan had a different view. “This is a very good day for lying, drug-abusing prima donnas who want to have their cake with the media and the right to then shamelessly guzzle it with their Cristal champagne,” he said.

Schilling said Campbell had never objected to the Daily Mirror’s reporting that she had a drug problem and had misled the media about it, but only to its publication of details of her treatment.