Francis Aldhouse, solicitor, worked as deputy to the first Information Commissioner (formerly Data Protection Registrar) from 1985 to 2006. Gave evidence on his involvement in Operation Motorman during that time.
Dame Colette Bowe was the Chair of Ofcom from 2009 to 2014. She gave evidence to the Inquiry on the composition and role of Ofcom. In 2014, she was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire for her services to media and communications.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards between 1999 and 2002, Filkin later led an inquiry published in 2012 relating to the News International phone-hacking scandal to "recommend changes to links between the police and the media, including how to extend transparency". She answered questions on her work at the Leveson Inquiry. She was appointed CBE in the 2014 Birthday Honours.
David Hunt, Conservative politician and former member of Cabinet during the Margaret Thatcher and John Major administrations, was appointed chairman of Press Complaints Commission as the Leveson Inquiry was getting underway (replacing Baroness Buscombe). He said he hoped to lead "wholesale regeneration and renewal of the system of independent self-regulation of the press".
Gave evidence to the Inquiry as statutory Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC). From January 2010 to January 2012, he was Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (the "MPA"). His public statement that too many police resources were being allocated to the phone-hacking inquiry led some politicians to calls for his resignation.
Gus O'Donnell, former senior civil servant and economist, who between 2005 and 2011 (under three Prime Ministers) served as Cabinet Secretary, the highest official in the British Civil Service. Gave evidence concerning Andy Coulson's role as press chief to Prime Minister David Cameron, and offered his opinion that Coulson should have declared his News Corporation shares.
Senior English criminal barrister. Gave evidence to the Inquiry explaining his role in the prosecution in 2006-07 of Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman, who were subsequently sentenced for offences related to the interception of voice messages, including of members of the Royal Household. Perry also advised the Government on the “cash-for-honours” scandal.
At the time of the Inquiry, Richards was Chief Executive of Ofcom, the independent regulator for the communications industry in the UK, stepping down in 2014. He told the Inquiry that he thought any proposal for editors to be part of a new regulatory board, as proposed by Lord Black, would not work. Previously worked as a senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, and before that as Controller of Corporate Strategy at the BBC.
Director of Public Prosecutions at the time of giving evidence. He answered questions on DPP investigations into phone hacking which had resulted in the trial and prison sentences of Glenn Mulcaire and Clive Goodman. Starmer told the Inquiry that by 2011, after more press revelations from victims such as Sienna Miller and press stories about phone hacking (including in the New York Times) he knew there had to be a full review of all the material available. Starmer said that he had met with Assistant Commissioner John Yates to tell him that. Starmer became Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras in 2015 and was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. He was made Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 2014 and sworn in as a Privy Councillor on 19 July 2017.
British civil servant and Permanent Secretary of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at the time of giving evidence. Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath for public service in the 2013 Birthday Honours, in particular for his service relating to the Olympic Games in London. He was asked at the Inquiry about his Department's handling of the proposed bid by News Corporation for BskyB in 2012, and his own involvement in the appointment of special adviser Adam Smith, who enjoyed a close relationship with News Corporation.
Solicitor who appeared on behalf of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association (BIOA), established 1993. He gave evidence on the role that a Press (or Media) Ombudsman scheme could fulfil in any new arrangements that might emerge as a result of the Inquiry’s work.
Information Commissioner of the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2009. Gave evidence on the responsibilities and workings of the Office of Information Commission with particular reference to privacy. During his time in office, he had raised concerns over the increased use of closed-circuit television (CCTV) and the introduction of ID Cards in the UK.
Toulmin worked as Director of the Press Complaints Commission from 2004 to 2009, having worked at the PCC since 1996. Gave evidence on the workings of the PCC and the limits of its powers. He told the Inquiry that the PCC had been happy to raise awareness of legal restrictions on journalists, but that it could not formally regulate possible offences such as hacking, computer hacking, "blagging" and bribery and/or corruption.
Group Director and board member at Ofcom at the time of giving evidence. Submitted an Ofcom study on the importance of media plurality, recommending that Government consider how to strike the right balance between promoting plurality and encouraging economically sustainable news-media organisations. Argued that judging a newspaper by circulation was not an accurate measure of its impact on society. Ofcom is an independent body which regulates the UK's broadcasting, telecommunications and wireless communications sectors and sets and enforces rules on fair competition between companies in these industries.
Managing Director of European Law Monitor, submitted a paper to the Inquiry on the implications of the failure of the UK Government to transpose an EU Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications into UK law.
Now known as Ombudsman Association. Members include ombudsmen and other complaint-handling bodies in the UK, Ireland and British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies. Gave evidence on the role of ombudsmen generally and possible roles of mediation in the Press.
Founded 1992, with focus on improving quality of policy ideas for the UK and EU. It has produced studies promoting the design, effective use and subsequent audit of impact assessments. Offered evidence to the Inquiry on the failings of the Press Complaints Commission.
Deputy Director in the Solicitor's Office at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Responsible for the team of lawyers advising on issues in relation to VAT. Gave evidence that offering VAT incentives as part of regulation would be problematic for HMRC.
Former CEO of Trinity Mirror. Deputy Chair of Ofcom and Chairman of the Ofcom Content Board at the time of the Inquiry, Graf was also a member of Ofcom's Remuneration Committee and the Radio Licensing Committee. He was Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror Group when the company merged with the Mirror Group in 1999, a position he held until February 2003.
Independent voluntary organisation working in the field of immigration. Set up to help individuals and families affected by British immigration and nationality law and policy. The organisation gave evidence on the negative press suffered by asylum seekers and immigrants.