Facebook's Director of Public Policy for Europe, Middle East and Africa at time of Inquiry. Gave evidence on his role in ensuring that the platform did not violate privacy laws within each country of use and in removing information which was libellous or violated the terms of service. Asked whether Facebook ever sold personal information to third parties, he replied that it did not.
Television journalist and Political Editor of Sky News at the time of the Inquiry. Boulton gave evidence of his experience of the interaction of politicians and the media. He suggested that healthy relations between political journalists and politicians broke down during Tony Blair’s years in office and spoke of his concern at attempts by politicians to manipulate news agendas.
Born 1943. Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills (May 2010-May 2015), elected leader of the Liberal Democrats in 2017. Cable gave evidence to the Inquiry on representations made to him about the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation from a variety of organisations, MPs and constituents. Cable told the Inquiry he decided that the acquisition raised concerns of public interest and should not proceed. His decision made him the subject of multiple attacks in some national newspapers.
A Core Participant in the Inquiry and a claimant in the voicemail-interception cases. Field was dismissed from her position as Head of Intellectual Property and Creative Services from accountancy and tax advisory firm Chiltern after being wrongly accused of leaking information about her client, Elle Macpherson, to the press. Stressed throughout her evidence that she thought highly of most of the press and did not wish press freedom to be curtailed or restricted.
The ex-wife of former England footballer Paul Gascoigne was designated a Core Participant Victim by the Inquiry. During and after her marriage, Ms Gascoigne and her children were the subjects of intense media scrutiny, she said. She had pursued libel cases against several national newspapers and been awarded damages. She gave evidence of "massive intrusion" into her family's private life and examples of six totally untrue stories printed about her in the Mirror, the Daily Star, the News of the World and the People. She received apologies, statements or costs and damages from all of them, she said, telling the Inquiry that after she had taken action the press treated her with more respect.
Lawyer specialising in defamation and privacy law, who represented a large number of victims of intercepted voicemails. Gave details to the Inquiry of the unravelling of information about extensive phone-hacking of celebrities and others known to the police. Represented the Dowler family in their financial claim and undertook the first hacking claims against both the News of the World and Mirror Group.
A consultant cardiologist from Leicestershire whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, his wife Kate and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
A Leicestershire doctor whose daughter Madeleine, aged three, disappeared during a family holiday in Portugal in May 2007. Dr McCann, her husband Gerry and their holiday companions were the subject of multiple libels in national newspapers, for some of which they sued and received damages.
Charity campaigner, television personality and public speaker, Mills gave evidence that she had begun receiving negative scrutiny by the press after her relationship with and subsequent marriage to Paul McCartney. Mills was the subject of multiple false stories in national newspapers, particularly referring to her disability, for some of which libels she received damages.
British journalist and co-founder of pop-culture publication, Popbitch. Despite describing the website and weekly newsletter as “tongue in cheek”, Popbitch found itself issuing a number of public apologies and paying damages to actor Max Beesley in 2008.
Lawyer, partner and Head of Media and Information Law at Bindmans LLP. Represented around 70 Core Participants in the Leveson Inquiry, including Hugh Grant, Jude Law, Charlotte Church and Gerry and Kate McCann. Specialises in defamation and privacy law, information and data protection law, copyright and human rights law.
Independent project, a collaboration between Index on Censorship and English PEN, launched to help journalists and writers defend themselves in costly libel cases. The Project offered suggestions on how its organisation might work within a new regulatory framework.
Sister of Finbarr Dennehy, whose death in 2007 was misrepresented and sensationalised in the press. She believed journalists broke many of the rules of ethics. She told the Inquiry that she believed the press needed a totally independent judicial body.
Early Resolution CIC was set up as a not-for-profit company by Sir Charles Gray, retired high-court libel judge, and Alastair Brett, former legal manager of The Times and Sunday Times, to help litigants locked in libel disputes resolve differences quickly, fairly and cost-effectively.
Independent Bed and Breakfast owner, whose business was destroyed by defamatory articles printed about him, his wife and their business, by an undercover reporter in 1998.
Bed & Breakfast owner, who claimed an undercover reporter had destroyed her business with defamatory articles about her, her husband and their business in 1998. The two described themselves as "fair-weather naturists" but in a written statement claimed that the News of the World had visited and published exaggerated and false articles about the nature of their hospitality.
Director of Editorial Legal Services at Guardian News and Media Limited at time of Inquiry. Phillips had previously worked for other media companies, having also spent time as a senior lecturer at the College of Law specialising in Criminal Law, Civil and Criminal Litigation and Employment Law. She worked as an assistant solicitor at the BBC from 1987 to 1996, dealing with a range of media issues including libel, contempt, court reporting, disclosure of sources, breach of confidence and the Official Secrets Act. She gave evidence that she had had no written or other communications at The Guardian on the subject of any journalist obtaining information by illegal means.
Wife of Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the Professional Footballer’s Association. Involvement in the Inquiry stemmed from denouncing a lawyer’s claims that she was unaware of information relating to her husband’s settlement, when in fact she was.
Founded 1978. British daily tabloid newspaper published Monday to Saturday with a circulation of more than 400,000 readers. Regular features include topless models and “Star Babes”, gossip articles and TV news column “Hot TV”. The newspaper paid damages and issued front-page apologies to the McCann family for libellous coverage of their daughter’s disappearance.
Founded 2002. British weekly tabloid newspaper launched as a sister title to the Daily Star. Stuart James took over the editorship in February 2014 from the paper's previous editor, Peter Carbery. The newspaper, along with the Daily Star, paid damages and issued front-page apologies to the McCann family for defamatory coverage of their daughter’s disappearance.
