Leveson’s inquiry

1. Leveson’s inquiry Hacking terror scandals

2. Inquiring minds would like to know? • There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. Henry David Thoreau • The Leveson inquiry sprung from the News International phone hacking scandal. • Lord Justice Levenson conducted an inquiry into "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 a failure to act upon any previous warnings about media misconduct.“

3. Hack the boat- where it all begun! • The PM set up an inquiry under the Inquiry Act 2005, this was because of the allegations of ‘phone hacking’, at the News of the World. • Rebekah Brooks in 2003 told parliamentary committee that she have paid police officers for information. • 2005- Clive Goodman the royal correspondent of the news of the world published an article about the prince knee injury • In 2007Clive Goodman the news of the world former editor was jailed for illegally accessing the royal phone mail. • 2009- The Guardian newspaper reveals up to 3,000 people may have had their voice mails hacked by NoW journalists.

4. We don’t hack we take! victim edition • Hacking into a victim of crime's phone is a sort of poetically elegant manifestation of a modus operandi the tabloids have. Steve Coogan • Bob, Sally and Gemma Dowler: their daughter MillyDowler was a victim of phone hacking. NoWagreed a £2m financial settlement and a further £1m to a charity of their choice. • Sky Andrews- sport agent: received £75,000 in damages • Charlotte Church –singer : 33 articles written by the paper was due to hacking of the singers voicemail as well as her family. There was a settlement of £600,000 and they also had to make a public apology as well as paying her court fees.

5. I am Lord and this is what I think should happen.. • He stated that: • Newspapers should continue to be self-regulated - and the government should have no power over what they publish. • There had to be a new press standards body created by the industry, with a new code of conduct • That body should be backed by legislation, which would create a means to ensure the regulation was independent and effective • The arrangement would provide the public with confidence that their complaints would be seriously dealt with - and ensure the press are protected from interference.

6. New laws new rules? • There is plans for press regulation in the UK after Lord Justice Levenson inquiry into the standard of the press. • How the plan works: • 1.The press industry is to set up a regulator which will hear complaints, offer arbitration and initiate inquiries into wrongdoing. • 2. A new recognition panel will be set up by Royal Charter to ensure the new regulator meets a set of agreed criteria. • 3. The panel will exclude editors, publishers, ministers, MPs and members of Scottish Parliament and Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies. • 4. Papers and magazines who sign up to regulation can be fined up to £1 million. • 5. Papers which don’t take part in the new scheme will be hit with ‘exemplary damages’ if they lose a court case brought by a member of the public.

7. New laws? Forget about it… • The opinion are divided: • The Times newspaper urged the press to ‘support it for fear of something worse’ because ‘…this Royal Charter makes the best of a bad job.’ • But Evan Harris former Lib Dem MP argued that “This is one of the weakest forms of self-regulation anywhere to oversee one of the presses capable of the worst excesses”. • Harriet Harman wrote a letter arguing that the new rules does not actual do much to stop ministers from meddling with the proposed charter: she argue that “there is nothing to stop the Privy Council…from amending the the Charter at any time…” • David Cameron argued :"serious concerns and misgivings" with regards to the prospect of implementing the changes with legislation. • the Daily Mail newspaper praised David Cameron stating that “the PM has put forward the least bad option so far, showing political courage that commands respect.”

8. What is my further looking like? • There is a part 2 to the inquiry which will look at “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.“ • In 2011 David Cameron announced that the inquiry will also include broadcasters and social media.