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Sky News chief apologises to Leveson Inquiry for misleading hacking claim
Sky News chief apologises to Leveson Inquiry for misleading hacking claim
By Padraig Reidy
23 Apr 12
Leveson Inquiry

Sky news’s John Ryley today apologised to the Leveson Inquiry for mistakenly claiming the station had never intercepted communications.

At the end of a one-and-a-half hour questioning by junior counsel David Barr, Ryley, head of news at the station, said that a letter submitted to the Inquiry by Sky News denying intercepts had solely been concerned with phone-hacking. Last month, the station admitted to hacking emails in two investigations relating to  “canoe man” John Darwin and fugitive couple Martin and Lianne Smith.

Separately today, broadcasting regulator Ofcom announced it would be investigating Sky News’s email hacking.

Ryley said Sky News would in future “pretty much rule out” unlawful behaviour by journalists, but added that any requests to carry out subterfuge would be recorded in writing.

Lord Justice Leveson had earlier reminded Ryley that while communications interception may have been carried out in the name of public interest, no prima facie public interest defence existed in the Computer Misuse Act.

The hearings continue this afternoon, with media owners represented by Evgeny Lebedev for Independent newspapers and Aidan Barclay for the Telegraph group.

Follow Index’s live coverage of the Leveson Inquiry at @IndexLeveson

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At Index on Censorship, we believe everyone deserves the right to speak freely, challenge power and share ideas without fear. In a world where governments tighten control and algorithms distort the truth, defending those rights is more urgent than ever.

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But free speech is not free. Instead we rely on readers like you to keep our journalism independent, our advocacy sharp and our support for writers, artists and dissidents strong.

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By Padraig Reidy

Padraig Reidy is the editor of Little Atoms and a columnist for Index on Censorship. He has also written for The Observer, The Guardian, and The Irish Times.

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