Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service, Akers joined the force in 1976 and retired at the end of 2012, having led Operation Weeting, investigating the News International phone-hacking scandal, and the related Operations Elveden and Tuleta, respectively investigating inappropriate payments to police officers and other public officials and computer hacking. Akers was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 2007 and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours for services to policing.
At the time of giving evidence in 2011, Bailey was Chief Executive of Trinity Mirror publishers, a post to which she was appointed in 2003. Following allegations of hacking, Bailey launched an investigation into the ethics and procedures in place within Mirror Group's publications, she told the Inquiry. In 2012, following substantial drops in circulation and profits, she was asked by Trinity Mirror to resign. During her time at the Mirror, she told the Inquiry in 2011, authorisation of payments, expenses and the costs of pursuing stories were delegated to editors of the Mirror titles. The use of private investigators was banned after the convictions of Clive Goodman and Glenn Mulcaire. She was asked what she would know of stories pre-publication, replying that she would have been told, for example, of a famous model's alleged use of cocaine, or a politician's affair, "so that they would not come as a surprise" to her the next day.
Journalist and former newspaper editor. CEO of News International from 2009 to 2011, having previously been the youngest editor of a British national newspaper (at the News of the World from 2000 to 2003) and the first female editor of The Sun (from 2003 to 2009). Brooks was a prominent figure in the News International phone-hacking scandal, having been editor of the News of the World when illegal phone-hacking was carried out. Following a criminal trial in 2014, she was cleared of all charges by a jury at the Old Bailey, which accepted her defence that she had no knowledge of the illegal acts carried out at the newspaper she edited.
Former chief executive of Security Industry Authority industry, the private-security industry regulator, from 2009 until his retirement in 2015. Previously held post of director of corporate services at the Gambling Commission.
Born 1957. Journalist and author and former press secretary to Tony Blair as Leader of the Opposition (1994-97) and as Prime minister (1997-2000). From 2000-2003, he was director of communications for the Labour Party (2000-03). Before 1994, he had been political editor of Today newspaper and the Daily Mirror. Campbell gave detailed testimony on the political media and what he saw as the decline of genuine investigative journalism and the increasing tendency of owners, editors and senior journalists to wish to be political players. Embellishment and pure invention were tolerated and encouraged by some editors and owners, he said.
Born 1986. A child star as a classical singer, in her teens Church experienced intense press scrutiny. She was a victim of phone hacking by the News of the World, as were numerous relatives and associates, and was party to civil actions against the paper. Her evidence to the Inquiry detailed examples of harassment and intrusion by journalists and photographers.
Former journalist and founder of PR company Max Clifford Associates, which dealt with protecting the public image of famous stars and events. He had been the victim of phone-hacking by the News of the World along with several of his clients. In 2014, Clifford was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on four girls and women aged between 15 and 19. He died on 10 December 2017.
Actor, comedian, victim of phone hacking by the News of the World and a leading figure in legal actions against the newspaper. He told the Leveson Inquiry that "lurid" details of his private life appeared in the News of the World after he was set up by that paper's former editor. Coogan gave extensive evidence of intrusive stalking and photographing by the Daily Mirror and Sunday Times. He said he had witnessed journalists rummaging through his rubbish bins. He had also been the victim of several kiss-and-tell stories and detailed how the women in question had been fooled and sometimes bribed into giving stories. At the heart of the problem, he thought, was the lack of accountability on the part of the editors and owners.
Journalist and political strategist, Andy Coulson was editor of the News of the World from 2003 until his resignation in 2007, following the conviction of one of the newspaper's reporters in relation to illegal phone-hacking. David Cameron appointed Coulson as communications director in 2007. Coulson resigned on 21 January 2011 as reports of News of the World phone hacking intensified. He was arrested 8 July 2011 and in 2014 found guilty of conspiracy to intercept voicemail, serving five months of an 18-month sentence.
The parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose voicemails were intercepted by the News of the World, leading to the misconception that Milly had been receiving her messages and was therefore alive. The unearthing of this practice sparked the investigations and subsequent court action against those involved, which in turn led to the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry. Designated Core Participant Victims in the Inquiry.
The parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose voicemails were intercepted by the News of the World, leading to the misconception that Milly had been receiving her messages and was therefore alive. The unearthing of this practice sparked the investigations and subsequent court action against those involved, which in turn led to the establishment of the Leveson Inquiry. Designated Core Participant Victims in the Inquiry.
Edmondson was news editor at the News of the World at the time of the Inquiry and answered questions on practices of phone-hacking and surveillance at that paper. In April 2011 he was arrested by the Metropolitan Police as part of Operation Weeting, which investigated phone hacking, and subsequently sentenced to seven months in prison for conspiring to intercept voicemail messages.
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.
Conservative MP for Surrey Heath and Education Secretary at the time of the Inquiry. A former journalist at the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the Times, the BBC and the Spectator. Told the Inquiry that sometimes "individuals reach for regulation in order to deal with failures of character or morality, and sometimes that regulation is right and appropriate but some of us believe that before the case for regulation is made, the case for liberty needs to be asserted as well".
English actor and film producer. Dealt in detail with his concerns about his treatment by the press, including the reporting in relation to stories concerning his daughter and his concerns about the way in which particular journalists had accessed that information. Grant was also appointed spokesperson for the campaign group Hacked Off.
Retired High Court judge at time of Inquiry, who had specialised in intellectual property, copyright, privacy and defamation cases. A specialist adviser to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions, he advised the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee on its Report on Press Standards, Privacy and Libel. Sir Charles was also the founder of Early Resolution, an organisation set up to help litigants locked in libel disputes resolve differences quickly, fairly and at low cost. His Inquiry evidence on Early Resolution broadened into discussion of an Early Resolution model becoming the basis for a post-publication regulatory system with statutory foundation. Sir Charles also served as adjudicator in lawsuits against News Group Newspapers brought by people whose phones were hacked by the group.
London-based lawyer specialising in media law, in particular defamation, privacy and harassment. Joined board of lobby group “Hacked Off” and has represented a substantial number of phone-hacked claimants since 2007. She also gave evidence to the Inquiry as a victim of phone-hacking herself.
Criminal investigator and intelligence officer with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) between April 2006 and July 2008, having previously undertaken the same role for HM Customs between 1990 and 2006. He told the Inquiry that while carrying out investigations into two serious crime investigations he learnt that News of the Word teams were also carrying out surveillance. He argued that this jeopardised a murder inquiry and could have had tragic consequences.
Andy Hayman was Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary and Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations at London's Metropolitan Police, the highest-ranking officer responsible for counter-terrorism in the UK. He was responsible for the investigation into the 7 July 2005 London bombings and was in charge of the initial inquiry into phone hacking by the News of the World. He was appointed CBE in 2006 for his handling of the investigation into the 7/7 London bombings.
Anonymous witness with experience of intrusive press attention, in particular phone hacking.
