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.
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.
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.
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".
Former News of the World crime editor, and the seventh person arrested under Operation Elveden on 15 December 2011. Panton joined the News of the World in September 2002 from the Sunday People, taking up the position of crime correspondent and was promoted to crime editor in October 2005. She told the Inquiry of her contacts with police officers and that the stories of press and police drinking champagne together were much exaggerated.
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.
