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.
Media Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain until 2010. Gave evidence at the Inquiry on behalf of ENGAGE, a Muslim advocacy organisation aiming to encourage greater civic participation among British Muslims. Has written for The Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, Daily Express, Observer and Sun, focusing on Islam and current affairs, and been co-presenter of the weekly Politics and Media Show on the Islam Channel.
Picture Editor of The Sun at the time of the Inquiry. Edwards was arrested as part of Operation Elveden and charged with conspiring to pay officials for stories. He was later cleared by a jury of all charges and left The Sun to join picture and video agency Flynet Pictures.
British journalist. Staff news reporter for the Daily Mail since 2010, having previously worked for the Camden New Journal, The Sun and the Daily Express. Answered questions from Leveson on six stories that Fagge had written for the Daily Express concerning the search for Madeleine McCann. He had done four "shifts" of two weeks each in Portugal, he said. He described his work and interviewing and also the process of subsequent editing. "The Madeleine story was on the front page of the Daily Express more than any other newspaper, because [the editor] decided it would sell newspapers. It became an obsession of his," said Fagge.
Editor of The Daily Telegraph at the time of the Inquiry. He joined the Daily Mail as a reporter in 1990, rising to Assistant Editor in 2006, before moving to The Daily Telegraph as Head of News in the same year. Testified that having met with then Prime Minister David Cameron three times in 2011, and with then Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband on a similar number of occasions, that did not give him "influence" over politicians. Told the Inquiry that the Press Complaints Commission was not fit for purpose without an "investigative arm". He was appointed editor-in-chief of The Sun in September 2015.
A retired schoolteacher, Jefferies was landlord to Joanna Yeates, who was murdered in Bristol in December 2010. Jefferies was the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for which he sued and received damages.
British journalist and commentator who spent more than 10 years working as Royal Editor for The Sun. Larcombe also worked as the paper's Defence Editor, reporting from the front line with British and American troops in Afghanistan. Told the Inquiry he was unaware of phone-hacking. He was accused but acquitted of attempting to bribe members of the Royal Household for information.
English media executive and former newspaper editor. Editor of The Sun from 1981 to 1994, by then established as the British newspaper with the largest circulation in the UK. Answered questions on The Sun's use of private investigators ("never used them") and on paying public officials for information. He was in favour of public officials whistle-blowing to The Sun, he said, even if The Sun had to pay money.
Journalist working for News of the World at time of its closure, having previously worked for The Sun, Today, Sunday Sport, News of the World and the Sunday Express. Told the Inquiry that "in 21 years of invading people's privacy I've never actually come across anyone who's been doing any good. The only people I think need privacy are people who do bad things... privacy is for paedos". He also claimed that "circulation defines the public interest... You just don't go up to a paedophile priest and say, hello good sir, you are a priest, do you like abusing choir boys?"
Mockridge gave testimony as Chief Executive Officer of News International Group Limited, the role previously held by Rebekah Brooks, and provided information on several newspapers, including The Times and The Sun. Questioned about Rupert Murdoch's views on self-regulation of the press. Told the Inquiry that having only been in the UK a few months (he was previously in New Zealand and Australia) he was of the view that British press freedoms were envied by many around the world.
British journalist, broadcaster and, at the time of giving evidence, editor of The Sun newspaper. Mohan was instrumental in the Live 8 charity concert, having conceived the idea of re-recording Band Aid’s "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 2004. Mohan told the Inquiry that The Sun took the PCC code very seriously and that the News International staff handbook was a comprehensive guide to the behaviour expected of Sun journalists.
British journalist and television personality. Morgan began his journalism career in Fleet Street as a writer and editor for several tabloid papers, including The Sun, the News of the World and the Daily Mirror. In 1994, he was appointed editor of the News of the World by Rupert Murdoch. He later edited the Daily Mirror, and was in charge during the period that the paper was implicated in the phone-hacking scandal. He told the Inquiry that he took ethics very seriously and was then questioned on the ethics of paying for and publishing details of the discarded bank statements of Elton John.
Australian-born American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation with an estimated net worth of $15.2 billion at the time of giving evidence. Gave a brief history of his organisation from the founding of the Adelaide News to date. Among other matters, was asked about the admission in the diaries of Woodrow Wyatt, a confidant of both Murdoch and Margaret Thatcher, that he "bent... all the rules" to enable acquisition of The Times and Sunday Times without the bid being referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Murdoch outlined his different understanding of the process. In lengthy evidence over several days, Murdoch admitted that the phone-hacking affair had left a serious blot on his reputation.
Editor of the Daily Star since 2003 at the time of giving evidence. Neesom worked on Woman’s Own, before joining The Sun as feature writer and later features editor. Told the Inquiry that in 2011 the paper had withdrawn from the PCC believing that the body had ceased trying to resolve disputes and its decisions had become more political. The paper would not use material that it believed to be illegally sourced, she said.
English journalist for The Sun since 2003, having previously worked as a reporter at Mirror Group Newspapers. O'Shea gave evidence concerning The Sun's coverage in 2011 of the arrest of Christopher Jefferies.
Crime editor of The Sun at the time of the Inquiry. In 2012, Sullivan was arrested as part of Operation Elveden and questioned on suspicion of corruption, aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and conspiracy. He was later cleared of all charges.
Editorial Legal Counsel at News Group Newspapers United ("NGN"), which publishes The Sun and formerly published the News of the World. Was asked several times whether he had been asked to advise any staff on phone hacking. He said that he could not recall having been asked for such advice.
Editor of the Daily Mirror at the time of giving evidence and until 2012. Described the ethos of the paper and its 110-year history. Told the Inquiry of its post-war support for Labour and of the various campaigns it had supported. Said that he took personal responsibility for the ethics of the paper and that every effort was made to correct errors.
Journalist and editor on a variety of titles. In 2003, he became Deputy Editor of the News of the World and four years later was appointed Executive Editor of the paper, a role he fulfilled until his resignation in 2009. Wallis was arrested by the Metropolitan Police investigating the News of the World phone-hacking scandal in July 2011 as part of Operation Weeting. In 2015, a jury unanimously cleared him of all charges brought against him.
Political Editor of the Mail on Sunday at time of giving evidence. A Lobby member since 1983, Walters previously worked at The Sun and Sunday Express. In 2013, he was Political Journalist of the Year, the third time he had been given the accolade. One of the stories commended was his revelation that Lord Leveson had "threatened to quit" over criticism from a Cabinet Minister. Another concerned text messages between David Cameron and former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks revealing that the Government would resist calls arising from the Leveson Inquiry for tougher press legislation.
