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47-614: The PRP was established following the Leveson Inquiry (2011–2012), a judicial public inquiry chaired by Lord Justice Leveson into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press following the News International phone hacking scandal . The PRP's function is to carry out activities relating to the recognition of press regulators. The new system of independent press regulation received all-party support when it

94-722: A failure to act upon any previous warnings about media misconduct." and Part 2 : "the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International , other media organisations or other organisations. It will also consider the extent to which any relevant police force investigated allegations relating to News International, and whether the police received corrupt payments or were otherwise complicit in misconduct." Part 2 would have been addressed later because of ongoing investigations by law enforcement organisations in Operations Weeting , Elveden and Tuleta . By 2015, it had been shelved. On 20 July 2011, Cameron announced in

141-576: A figure that was confirmed by DAC Akers at an evidence session of the Home Affairs Select Committee on 12 July 2011. At the same evidence session, Akers confirmed the police had contacted only 170 of the 3,870 people named in Glenn Mulcaire 's files to date. There were 11,000 pages of the evidence with 5,000 landline phone numbers and 4,000 mobile phone numbers. on them inside the so-called "Glenn Mulcaire files". At

188-484: A little humility." Ian Hislop , editor of Private Eye , which had never signed up to the PCC, said he was in concurrence with a lot of Leveson's findings and the handling of the inquiry. However, he disagreed with suggestions that those publications which did not voluntarily join up to the proposed self-regulatory body should be penalised by paying heavy costs and exemplary damages on potential libel actions, even if they won

235-449: A new independent body, which would have a range of sanctions available to it, including fines and direction of the prominence of apologies and corrections. Membership of the body would be voluntary, but incentivised by schemes such as a kitemark , an inquisitorial arbitration service for handling tort claims such as libel and breach of privacy , and by allowing exemplary damages to be awarded in cases brought against non-participants in

282-418: A new, independent body to replace the existing Press Complaints Commission , which would have to be recognised by the state through new laws. Prime Minister David Cameron , under whose direction the inquiry had been established, said that he welcomed many of the findings, but declined to enact the requisite legislation. Part 2 of the inquiry was to be delayed until after criminal prosecutions regarding events at

329-576: A public inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 would be chaired by Lord Justice Leveson on 13 July 2011. A 14 September 2011 press release stated that Part 1 of the Leveson Inquiry would be addressing: "the culture, practices and ethics of the press, including contacts between the press and politicians and the press and the police; it is to consider the extent to which the current regulatory regime has failed and whether there has been

376-620: A result, the Metropolitan Police Service opened an additional investigation, Operation Elveden , which is also being led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Akers. By 13 March 2012, 23 people had been arrested as part of Operation Weeting. The sequence of arrests was as follows: On 15 September 2011, the newly appointed Commissioner of the Metropolitan police, Bernard Hogan-Howe , announced that he had requested that Durham police carry out an independent review of

423-580: A series of arrests. BBC News reported that those arrested were journalists that were or had been associated with Mirror Group Newspapers . The Guardian reported that those arrested were, or had been, associated with the Sunday Mirror , Sunday People , and The People newspapers. In November 2015 the CPS announced the closure of Operation Weeting and Operation Golding an associated investigation focussing on possible phone hacking by journalists at

470-586: A speech to Parliament the final terms of reference of Leveson's inquiry, stating that it would extend beyond newspapers to include broadcasters and social media . He also announced a panel of six people who have been working with the judge on the inquiry: The Inquiry was funded through two Government departments: the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Home Office . Core participants were designated by Leveson as being: News International ,

517-430: A variety of senior politicians, including four Prime Ministers, along with press figures such as Aidan Barclay , Evgeny Lebedev , James Murdoch , Rupert Murdoch , Viscount Rothermere , Andy Coulson and Rebekah Brooks . The 2,000-page final report was published on 29 November 2012, along with a 48-page executive summary. Leveson found that the existing Press Complaints Commission was not sufficient, and recommended

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564-800: The Financial Times , the Daily Telegraph , The Independent , The Times , the Daily Express , and the Daily Mirror broadly agreed with Cameron's position, while The Guardian declared that Miliband has taken a "principled position", but that "great care" would be required for the legislation. It stated that "[Cameron] who commissioned it and who has had very little time in which to study it, should think carefully before dismissing significant parts of it." It added, "The press should treat it with respect – and not

611-657: The News of the World , but the Conservative Party 's 2017 manifesto stated that the second part of the inquiry would be dropped entirely, and this was confirmed by Culture Secretary Matt Hancock in a statement to the House of Commons on 1 March 2018. In 2007, News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were convicted of illegal interception of phone messages. According to

658-555: The Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson , politicians Tessa Jowell and Boris Johnson , publicist Max Clifford and even Rebekah Brooks , then editor of the News of the World' s sister paper The Sun , had been the victim of hacking ordered by the News of the World . The News of the World and its parent News Corporation strongly denied the allegations, and called on The Guardian to share any evidence it had with

705-534: The Metropolitan Police , victims, Northern and Shell Network Ltd, Guardian News and Media Ltd , Associated Newspapers Ltd , Trinity Mirror , Telegraph Media Group , and the National Union of Journalists . In January 2012 Surrey Police were added to the list of core participants. A 14 September 2011 press release also named 46 politicians, sportsmen, other public figures, and members of

752-576: The News of the World , before the Metropolitan Police announced on 26 January 2011 that it was launching Operation Weeting, a new and fresh investigation into the entire phone hacking affair. In its initial months of existence, Operation Weeting had around 45 officers working on it. In a report to Parliament on 20 July 2011, the Home Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons recommended that additional resources be made available to

799-551: The News of the World , this was an isolated incident, but The Guardian claimed that evidence existed that this practice extended beyond Goodman and Mulcaire. In 2011, after a civil settlement with Sienna Miller , the Metropolitan Police Service set up a new investigation, Operation Weeting . In July 2011, it was revealed that News of the World reporters had hacked the voicemail of murder victim Milly Dowler . Prime Minister David Cameron announced that

846-501: The News of the World . All three operations are led by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers , Head of Organised Crime & Criminal Networks within the Specialist Crime Directorate. In August 2006, the News of the World ' s royal editor, Clive Goodman and a private investigator, Glenn Mulcaire , were arrested by the Metropolitan Police, and later charged with hacking the telephones of members of

893-432: The News of the World' s owner News International , and against the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire. Those who began legal action included the football agent Sky Andrew , actress Sienna Miller , actor Steve Coogan , television presenter Chris Tarrant and football pundit Andy Gray . Respect politician George Galloway , who was not an MP at the time, stated that the Metropolitan Police told him they had evidence he

940-492: The Specialist Crime Directorate of the Metropolitan Police Service into allegations of phone hacking in the News of the World phone hacking affair . The operation was conducted alongside Operation Elveden , an investigation into allegations of inappropriate payments to the police by those involved with phone hacking, and Operation Tuleta , an investigation into alleged computer hacking for

987-472: The royal family by accessing voicemail messages, an offence under section 79 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 . On 26 January 2007, both Goodman and Mulcaire pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced to four and six months imprisonment respectively. On the same day, it was announced that Andy Coulson had resigned as editor of the News of the World . In 2007, that appeared to be

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1034-470: The 2006 Goodman case within the company's records and files. This review led Lewis to also re-examine all documents held by the legal firm Harbottle & Lewis , who had defended News International against an unfair dismissal case brought by Clive Goodman in 2007, in which he discovered questionable material. Lewis passed this material to a second legal firm, Hickman Rose , who in turn asked the former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald to examine

1081-548: The Leveson Inquiry on 6 February 2012, it was confirmed by Robert Jay QC that there are 6,349 potential victims of phone hacking. He also said that in Mulcaire's notes there were 4,375 names with phone numbers alongside. DAC Akers said that there are 829 "likely" victims. During the investigations, documentation provided to Operation Weeting suggested that some police personnel may have accepted "inappropriate payments" from news organisations in return for classified information. As

1128-523: The Leveson report. Downing Street denied that any threats were made. The Telegraph had reported that Miller had claimed £90,000 of expenses between 2005 and 2009 for a house in which her parents were living. Miller herself claimed they were dependents. The Parliamentary Commission for Standards subsequently launched an investigation into Miller's expenses. Writing in The Guardian on 15 December,

1175-638: The PCC, said the new regulator should be set up by summer 2013. Addressing a conference in Sydney on privacy and the internet, Lord Justice Leveson stated he was watching developments in the UK "with interest", but declined to comment further. He said: "It is because I treat the report as a judgment and judges simply do not enter into discussion about judgments they have given. They do not respond to comment, however misconceived; neither do they seek to correct error." A small issue which received some minor press attention,

1222-565: The Press Complaints Commission, saying it was an 'understandable consequence' of the perceived closeness between the Commission and 'those so often held to account by that publication'. Shortly after the publication of the report, David Cameron made a statement to the House of Commons . Cameron welcomed many of Leveson's findings, but expressed "serious concerns and misgivings" regarding the prospect of implementing

1269-792: The Sentencing Council." The revelations led to a number of Labour MPs calling for Leveson to be removed from the Inquiry. These were two large evening events attended in Leveson's capacity as Chairman of the Sentencing Council, and with the knowledge of the Lord Chief Justice. Oral evidence was taken at the Royal Courts of Justice , and was streamed live over the Internet. Over three modules, 337 witnesses were called and about 300 other statements made. Hearings for

1316-486: The application for judicial review on the grounds that individual anonymity requests should be dealt with by the chairman of the inquiry rather than the judiciary. On 12 December 2012, it was reported that during a telephone call to The Daily Telegraph Prime Minister David Cameron 's spokesman, Craig Oliver , had warned the newspaper against running a critical story on MP's expenses claimed by Culture Secretary Maria Miller because of her role in enacting proposals in

1363-409: The case. The leader of the National Union of Journalists , Michelle Stanistreet , hailed Leveson's backing of a contractual "conscience clause". Victims group Hacked Off called for full implementation of Leveson's recommendations, starting a petition which was signed by over 145,000 people (as of 10 December 2012). Gerry McCann said that Cameron had earlier made a pledge that he would implement

1410-656: The changes with legislation. Ed Miliband , the Leader of the Opposition , called for full implementation of the report. Nick Clegg , the Deputy Prime Minister , and leader of the Liberal Democrats was unable to agree on a position with his coalition partner Cameron, instead making his own statement agreeing that changes in the law were necessary. In leading newspaper stories the following day,

1457-411: The end of the News of the World royal phone hacking scandal . In July 2009, The Guardian newspaper published a series of allegations that a culture of phone hacking went far beyond the single case of Goodman and Mulcaire's hacking of the royal household. It was alleged that a much wider range of people across different areas of public life, including the former deputy prime minister John Prescott ,

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1504-527: The evidence and report his findings to the News International board. Macdonald's report found evidence of indirect hacking, breaches of national security and serious crime, which led Macdonald to recommend that the company immediately refer the matter to the police; News International did. The Crown Prosecution Service announced an immediate review of the evidence collected during the Metropolitan Police's original investigation into phone hacking at

1551-495: The evidence collected by Operation Weeting. Hogan-Howe said that he had asked the team, led by Durham chief constable Jon Stoddart , "to have a look at the inquiry to reassure us we are going in the right direction and I think we are." On 23 July 2012, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that charges would be brought against eight people in relation to phone hacking. According to press reports,

1598-539: The first module took place from November 2011 to February 2012, and considered the relationship between the press and the public. This module included testimony from Sally Dowler (mother of Milly Dowler ), Kate and Gerry McCann (parents of the missing Madeleine McCann ), and Chris Jefferies who was wrongly arrested for the murder of Joanna Yeates in 2011. The inquiry heard joint testimony from Anna van Heeswijk (Object), Jacqui Hunt ( Equality Now ), Heather Harvey (Eaves) and Marai Larasi (End Violence against Women) as well as

1645-547: The journalist Tanya Gold argued the episode demonstrated the need for a free press. According to page 388 of the Government Response to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Inquiries Act 2005 published in 2013, the total cost of the Leveson Inquiry was £5.4 million. Operation Weeting Operation Weeting was a British police investigation that commenced on 26 January 2011, under

1692-478: The list of the eight individuals to be charged was as follows: Rebekah Brooks , Andy Coulson , Stuart Kuttner , Glenn Mulcaire , Greg Miskiw , Ian Edmondson , Neville Thurlbeck and James Weatherup . A new round of arrests was made in early 2013, with the arrest of six former News of the World journalists on 13 February, bringing the total number of people arrested as part of Operation Weeting to 32. On 14 March 2013, officers from Operation Weeting made

1739-426: The operation in order to speed up its progress; later the same day, the Metropolitan Police announced that the number of officers assigned to Weeting was to be increased to its current level of 60. On 6 February 2012, DAC Akers appeared at the Leveson Inquiry and said that there were a total of 90 police officers working on Operation Weeting. It is believed that around 3,000 people may have had their phones hacked,

1786-696: The police. In the wake of the allegations, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Paul Stephenson asked the force's Assistant Commissioner John Yates to review the original 2006 investigation in the light of any new evidence, with regards to potentially reopening the investigation. In a single 8-hour meeting, Yates decided not to take any further action. In the wake of the police deciding not to instigate legal proceedings, several public figures who had allegedly been hacked began litigation proceedings against

1833-529: The public who may have been victims of media intrusion and who have been granted "core participant" status in the inquiry. As of November 2011 this number had increased to 51. It was reported in the media that Leveson had attended two parties in the prior 12 months at the London home of Matthew Freud , son-in-law of Rupert Murdoch and head of Freud Communications PR firm. According to The Independent , Freud had "agreed to do some free consultancy work for

1880-402: The relationship between the press and police, and saw testimony from political and police figures, including Brian Paddick , Lord Prescott , Simon Hughes , John Yates , Andy Hayman , Sir Paul Stephenson , Elizabeth Filkin , Lord Condon , Lord Stevens , Lord Blair and Cressida Dick . The final module (April to June), on the relationship between press and politicians, saw testimony from

1927-606: The report if it was not "bonkers". J.K. Rowling , who gave evidence to the inquiry, wrote that she did this in good faith and felt "duped and angry" by the Prime Minister's response, and victims refused to meet the Culture Secretary, speaking of a sense of "betrayal". Talks regarding implementation between politicians and the press were scheduled to start in December 2012, and Lord Hunt, the current chair of

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1974-594: The scheme, something not usually part of English law . Leveson rejected the characterisation of his proposal as "statutory regulation of the press". Leveson also made recommendations regarding the Data Protection Act , the powers and duties of the Information Commissioner , and about conduct of relations between the press, the police, and politicians. He praised the satirical magazine Private Eye for previously having refused to join

2021-575: The singer Charlotte Church regarding the image of women in tabloid journalism. It also included the actors Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan , the author J. K. Rowling , and figures from journalism and broadcasting: Jeremy Paxman , Nick Davies , Paul McMullan , Alastair Campbell , Piers Morgan , Kelvin MacKenzie , Richard Desmond , Ian Hislop , James Harding , Alan Rusbridger , Mark Thompson , Lord Patten , Michael Grade , Lord Hunt and Paul Dacre . The next module (February and March) examined

2068-611: Was a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices, and ethics of the British press following the News International phone hacking scandal , chaired by Lord Justice Leveson , who was appointed in July 2011. A series of public hearings were held throughout 2011 and 2012. The Inquiry published the Leveson Report in November 2012, which reviewed the general culture and ethics of the British media, and made recommendations for

2115-478: Was among those targeted by Mulcaire. In the course of one of these litigation proceedings, that brought by Sienna Miller, papers lodged in the High Court suggested that Ian Edmondson , a senior editor at the News of the World , was involved in work undertaken by Mulcaire. In the wake of this new evidence, News International group general manager Will Lewis was tasked with reviewing any documents relating to

2162-481: Was an incident where the Leveson report incorrectly listed a "Brett Straub" as one of the founders of The Independent newspaper. The name originated from Misplaced Pages vandalism by one of Straub's friends as a prank, who in several erroneous edits falsely included Straub's name in several articles across the site. Associated Newspapers Ltd challenged a ruling on the admissibility of anonymous evidence by inquiry chairman Lord Justice Leveson. The presiding judges refused

2209-532: Was devised. The system was designed to protect the public as well as promote the freedom of the press . In October 2016, IMPRESS became the UK's first recognised press regulator, after its application was approved by the independent PRP Board. This article related to the politics of the United Kingdom , or its predecessor or constituent states, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Leveson Inquiry The Leveson Inquiry

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