Cumberland Costings offers legal services, law costs draftsmen and costs lawyers who specialize in detailed costs assessment and report of any legal proceeding, including state inquiries such as the Leveson report.

1. Media law in Leveson report
Last year, the Right Honorable Lord Justice Leveson, Appeal Court judge, published a report
entitled “An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press.” Aptly called the
Leveson report, the document spanned almost 2,000 pages in covering government
investigations regarding media practices and policies regulating the press.
The entire inquiry spanned 11 months, and its costs draftsmen reported a summary of £3.903
million in that period, £1.215 million of which were staff costs while £1.016 million were costs
incurred by the Counsel to the Inquiry. A costs draftsman is a lawyer who specializes in
detailed costs assessment and report of any legal proceeding, including state inquiries such as the
Leveson report.
The controversial report focused on several alleged malpractices of the press, ending with a
recommendation stressing the “importance” of legislating full state regulation of the press and
other media institutions. Following this recommendation, the government and the House of
Lords has since proceeded to amend the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill in the guise of
protecting the press from political interference. A Royal charter is also being discussed in
relation with enhanced press regulation by the state.
Many journalists find the Leveson report a farcical political move of the government because it
was backed to a corner. The costs reported by its costs draftsmen constitute an absurd amount
of state money spent on making the entire press body pay for the sins of a few transgressors.
Gill Phillips, director editorial legal services of the Guardian, has made a brief note discussing
legal concerns regarding Leveson’s recommendations. He states that the Leveson report singles
out for punishment a particular category of defendants, as opposed to a particular type of
criminal or malicious activity. This creates a chilling effect—a form of prior restraint which
inhibits press freedom—to all individuals and institutions that fall under that category.
Contact Us:
Cumberland Costings
6 Lakes Court, Stanstead Abbotts, Herts SG12 8ES
Tel: 01920 872875 Fax: 01920 877864
Email: deryk@costings.co.uk
Website: http://www.costings.co.uk
London Office: 30 Eton Court, Eton Avenue, London NW3 3HJ.