Government to apply for core participant status at Leveson Inquiry

4 May 2012 | Leveson Inquiry

Update 15:21 — Eight government ministers have today been granted core participant status at the Leveson Inquiry, meaning they will have advance access to evidence and the right to seek redactions of other statements submitted. Lord Justice Leveson rejected the application by the government as a body, but granted individual CP status to David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, Ken Clarke, George Osborne, Theresa May, Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove, who will be known as “government core participants“.

The coalition government will this afternoon make an application to be a core participant at the Leveson Inquiry, in a special hearing announced today.

If granted, this would mean that the government would have advance access to written statements and attachments submitted in module three of the Inquiry, which is examining relations between the press and politicians.

The Inquiry states that individual or an organisation can become a core participant if they are deemed by Lord Justice Leveson to meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • the person played, or may have played, a direct and significant role in relation to the matters to which the inquiry relates;
  • the person has a significant interest in an important aspect of those matters to which the inquiry relates; or
  • the person may be subject to explicit or significant criticism during the inquiry proceedings or in its report

Those already granted CP status in module three include Guardian News and Media, Associated Newspapers and News International; the Metropolitan police; the National Union of Journalists, and former News International CEO Rebekah Brooks, who is scheduled to give evidence to the Inquiry next Friday. MPs including Tom Watson, Denis MacShane, Tessa Jowell and Chris Bryant have also been granted CP status.

Today’s hearing is scheduled to take place at 2pm.

Follow Index on Censorship’s coverage of the Leveson Inquiry on Twitter – @IndexLeveson

Doubt cast over part two of Leveson Inquiry

2 May 2012 | Leveson Inquiry

A statement released by the Leveson Inquiry late last night has raised doubts as to whether the second part of the Inquiry into press standards will go ahead, due to concerns over value and costs.

In the statement, Lord Justice Leveson expressed concern over the “enormous cost (both to the public purse and the participants)” and voiced his fear that the Inquiry may “trawl over material then more years out of date”.

While not ruling out the possibility of a second part, Lord Justice Leveson said: “It is likely that the process of pre-trial disclosure and trial will be lengthy so that Part 2 of this Inquiry will be delayed for very many months if not longer.”

He added:

In those circumstances, it seems to me that it is in  everyone’s interests that Part 1 goes as far as it possibly can. If the  transparent way in which the Inquiry has been conducted, the Report and the  response by government and the press (along with a new acceptable  regulatory regime) addresses the public concern, at the conclusion of any  trial or trials, consideration can be given by everyone to the value to be  gained from a further inquiry into Part 2.

Part Two of the Inquiry, intended to commence after any possible criminal trials would have been completed, would examine the extent of unlawful or improper conduct at News International and other media organisations.

Part One, which is currently underway, is looking at the culture, practices, and ethics of the press and will make recommendations based on the findings this autumn.

Follow Index on Censorship’s coverage of the Leveson Inquiry on Twitter – @IndexLeveson

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