1. Leveson Inquiry
By Chloe Whittle

2. What its about
The Leveson Inquiry is a concluded inquiry into the
culture, practices and ethics of the British press following
the News International phone hacking scandal.
On 6 July 2011, Prime Minister David Cameron
announced to Parliament that an inquiry would be
established under the Inquiries Act 2005 to further
investigate the affair.
On 13 July, Cameron appointed Lord Justice Leveson as
Chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into the
specific claims about phone hacking at the News of the
World, the initial police inquiry and allegations of illicit
payments to police by the press.

3. What are the Leveson inquiry
conclusion
Michael Temple, professor of politics and journalism at
Staffordshire University, said the Leveson inquiry, set up
to investigate wrongdoing in the wake of the News of the
World phone hacking scandal, was a ‘waste of money’
that had produced only a series of ‘vague generalisations’.
Lord Justice Leveson has recommended a new body to
replace the current Press Complaints Commission which
would have the power to force newspapers into an
arbitration process.
He insisted this could not be described as ‘statutory
regulation’, although a new law would be required to give
the new watchdog its teeth.

4. Lord Justice Leveson
Lord Justice Leveson was called to the Bar by Middle
Temple in 1970. He practised on the Northern Circuit
from chambers in Liverpool, across the full range of
common law, crime, personal injury and commercial
work. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986, and
was a Recorder and a Deputy High Court Judge. He was
appointed a Judge of the High Court, Queen’s Bench
Division, in 2000, and served as a Presiding Judge of the
Northern Circuit. In 2005 he was appointed to the new
position of Deputy Senior Presiding Judge and in 2006,
following his appointment as a Lord Justice of Appeal, he
became Senior Presiding Judge.

5. My views on the enquiry
I think that this is a good step to stop the media from causing as much trouble in
future cases. The phone hacking was very unnecessary for the news of the world to do
and therefore they should be punished for all the grief they have caused. The news
papers where made to report important news and to have people read their news
without any hesitation. Hacking peoples phones is a step too far but due to the
Leveson inquiry coming into act this should change the way the media is run. We can
also look at this from our own point of view, if this happened to us we would want
justice which effects us also, why should we let the media get away with it.
However I don’t agree with how a certain group of people get to decided what we
read and what we get to see. This country is a free of speech country so therefore we
should have a say in what we want to see. I don’t think the government would tell the
public the whole truth about certain things which isn't fair when we are all entitled to
know whats going on.
I think there should be a vote amongst the people in Britain which allows us to give
our own opinion in what we want to see or read. This way this very fair and equal. I
think there should be government and public import so its also equal.

6. Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leveson_Inquiry
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Leveson-
conclusions-a-danger-to-local-news-
29112012.htm
http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/people/lord-
justice-leveson-chairman/