2. Background
In 2007, News of the world royal editor Clive Goodman and private
investigator Glenn Muclaire were convicted of illegal interception of phone
messages. News of the world claimed this was a singular incident, however
the Guardian news paper claimed that evidence existed that this practise
extended beyond Goodman and Mulcaire. Their was then a civil settlement
with sienna miller. The metropolitan police service then set up an operation
called “Operation Weeting”. In July 2011 it was revealed that the News of the
world reporters had hacked the voicemail, of murder victim Milly Dowler. The
Prime minister David Cameron announced that a public inquiry under the
Inquiries act 2005, would be chaired by Lord Justice Leveson on July 13, 2011.
3. How are the press regulated now?
Self regulation and the PCC has continued, but the authority of the regulator was fatally
Undermined by the News of the World phone hacking saga. The regulator chose to criticise
The Guardian saying its story “did not quite live up to its dramatic billing”. But in the wake
Of a string of further phone hacking revelations, culminating in the Millly Dowler story.
The press, and even the PCC itself acknowledge that some sort of reform was necessary.
4. What does Leveson have to do?
The British press operates in a constitutional vacuum, circumscribed by the general
Laws against bribery, libel and intercepting communications. But there are no specific
Laws to either protect or regulate the press there is nothing to match the US
Constitution's first amendment guarantee of free speech. Lord Justice Leveson at one
Point suggested parliament could legislate to introduce such as right which could balance
The introduction of some form of statutory regulation, either the underpinning of an
Independent regulator or full blown statutory regulator similar to Ofcom.
