Dario Milo

Professor Dario Milo is a Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Law School (University of Melbourne) and an Adjunct Professor in Media Law at the University of the Witwatersrand and Stellenbosch University. He is a partner at Webber Wentzel attorneys, leading a legal team specializing in media law, including defamation, privacy, access to information, freedom of expression, national security law, open justice, and contempt of court. His expertise spans over 20 years of academic and legal practice in media-related legal issues.

Milo serves as an expert on the Columbia University Freedom of Expression Project and was appointed to the UK/Canadian High-Level Panel on Media Freedom (2019). He advises the European Commission on anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) policy. His research and legal work focus on balancing free expression with legal boundaries, including surveillance of journalists, hate speech, and SLAPP defenses in defamation cases.

Recent publications include a chapter on 'Insulting speech' in the 2024 Oxford University Press volume Freedom of Speech in International Law, co-authored works on South African media law, and contributions to global legal discourse on media freedom. His legal cases include landmark rulings on media surveillance, access to sensitive election reports, and broadcasting rights in high-profile trials like the Oscar Pistorius case.

Milo’s current work involves representing Penny Hammerl in freedom of information disputes over her husband’s remains in Libya, challenging tax record secrecy for former South African President Jacob Zuma, and opposing government content classification laws for internet broadcasters.