2. What is the Leveson Inquiry?
• The inquiry has been led by a senior judge, Lord Justice
Leveson.
• The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, practice and ethics of
the press has published its report. Here are the key points.
Briefly:
• New self-regulation body recommended
• Independent of serving editors, government and business
• No widespread corruption of police by the press found
• Politicians and press have been too close
• Press behaviour, at times, has been 'outrageous'
3. • Leveson appointed a panel of six assessors to
work alongside him on the Inquiry and six
barristers to be Counsel to Inquiry.
• The Inquiry is funded through two
Government departments: the department for
culture, media and sport and the home office.
4. • Core participants were designated by Leveson as
being: News International, 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. 51
victims were named by the Inquiry as of
November 2011, comprising members of the
public, politicians, sportsmen, other public
figures, who may have been victims of media
intrusion and have been granted "core
participant" status in the inquiry.
5. • Leveson opened the hearings on Monday 14
November 2011.
• Saying, "The press provides an essential check
on all aspects of public life.
• The full report was published physically and
online 29 November 2012.
6. • The 14 September press release stated 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 a failure to act upon any
previous warnings about media misconduct."
7. • 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."
8. Who is Leveson?
• Lord Justice (Sir Brian) Leveson became a
barrister in 1970 and QC 16 years later.
• He was made a high court judge in 2000 and
appointed to the court of appeal in 2006. As
chairmen of the sentencing council, a position
he still holds. He is responsible for criminal
sentencing policy in England and Wales.
9. • Lord Leveson led the prosecution case against
serial killer Rose West, who was jailed in 1995
for the murder of 10 women and girls and was
the judge during the 2006 trail over the killing
of 10-year-old London schoolboy Damilola
Taylor.
10. My views
• My views on the Lord Leveson inquiry are
neutral, I neither agree or disagree with what
is going on. Yes, I read and look at the news
but the issues going on with the newspapers
and phone hacking don’t really affect my life
therefore I don’t mind what the outcome with
the inquiry will be. I think the media should be
able to post what they want in the papers and
online with a few restrictions such as
exploiting peoples lives for no reason.
