Barnett, of Cheshire Police, was president of the Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales at the time of the Inquiry, an elected role which he took up in 2010. Gave testimony on the Association’s guidelines with regard to the press and told the Inquiry that police officers had become more nervous about talking to journalists.
Head of Corporate Communications, Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies. Campbell is also Chair of APComm, the national representative body of those who work in police-related communications, including the wider law-enforcement agencies. Spoke of the advice that ACPO might give to members – for example, on the appropriate offering and acceptance of hospitality – to media contacts.
Former journalist and founder of PR company Max Clifford Associates, which dealt with protecting the public image of famous stars and events. He had been the victim of phone-hacking by the News of the World along with several of his clients. In 2014, Clifford was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault on four girls and women aged between 15 and 19. He died on 10 December 2017.
Public policy and communications expert and at the time of the Inquiry Vice-President of Global Communications and Public Affairs for Google. Collins gave evidence on Google’s privacy policy, its removal policy on the UK (as opposed to US) site and its continuing evolution.
Journalist and political strategist, Andy Coulson was editor of the News of the World from 2003 until his resignation in 2007, following the conviction of one of the newspaper's reporters in relation to illegal phone-hacking. David Cameron appointed Coulson as communications director in 2007. Coulson resigned on 21 January 2011 as reports of News of the World phone hacking intensified. He was arrested 8 July 2011 and in 2014 found guilty of conspiracy to intercept voicemail, serving five months of an 18-month sentence.
Telecommunications and internet technology-policy expert. Gave evidence to the Inquiry as Head of Global Public Policy at Twitter.
Head of Corporate Communications at Avon and Somerset Police at time of the Inquiry. Previously Head of Communications and Public Relations at London Borough of Southwark and at Reading Borough Council before that. Was asked to outline the role and responsibilities of her office, off-the-record briefings and procedures in place following press behaviour since the Alison Yeates murder in 2010.
Llewellyn was appointed Head of Communications of South Wales Police in 2011, a role with responsibility for co-ordinating strategic communications across the organisation and taking the lead on media responses for high profile cases. During the Inquiry, Llewellyn noted that the media were generally cooperative when asked not to publish certain material that could affect investigations and prosecutions.
Former Director of Public Affairs, Europe and later Senior Vice-President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, Europe of News Corp. Was asked by the Inquiry to comment on his communications with representatives of government departments in the period June 2010 to July 2011 and his communications with Jeremy Hunt and Adam Smith of DCMS relating to the BSkyB bid.
Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, UK regulator of ads in all media at the time of the Inquiry, and responsible for executing the ASA's strategy to make ads responsible, including through the development of regulatory policy. Outlined for the Inquiry how investigation of complaints, enforcement activity and the system's communications, marketing, public affairs and research activities worked in practice.
Head of Marketing and Communications for Cumbria Constabulary at time of Inquiry. Prior to this, she had worked in a number of marketing and communication roles both at NatWest and at the National Farmers' Union, for whom she dealt with media inquiries throughout the foot-and-mouth disease crisis.
Professional news & PR photographer, former Managing Director of NewsPics Ltd and Senior Photographic Officer with the Metropolitan Police Service. Told the Inquiry of his surveillance work over a period of years. He had used covert photographic methods to photograph more than 300 people in a two-year period, including following the McCanns to Canada on holiday. He said that at the time he thought it appropriate.
A former journalist, Stearns was Head of Media at the Metropolitan Police at the time of the Inquiry. His evidence was volunteered rather than formally sought and he attempted to put in context the work of the press office which dealt with 200-300 journalistic calls a day from the media. Following major incidents, this number could rise to 1,000 or more calls, all requiring individual responses, he told the Inquiry.
Toulmin worked as Director of the Press Complaints Commission from 2004 to 2009, having worked at the PCC since 1996. Gave evidence on the workings of the PCC and the limits of its powers. He told the Inquiry that the PCC had been happy to raise awareness of legal restrictions on journalists, but that it could not formally regulate possible offences such as hacking, computer hacking, "blagging" and bribery and/or corruption.
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.
Director at Atelier PR Ltd and public relations adviser to the businessman Vincent Tchenguiz and the company of which he is Chairman, Vincos Limited. Tchenguiz was arrested and released as part of a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the collapse of the Icelandic Kaupthing Bank. Bellew contended that an Associated Press photographer was tipped off about the dawn arrest at his Park Lane offices. No charges were made.
Public relations and communications expert, formerly a civil servant and first head of the Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office in 2001. Over 25 years, Granatt held a range of senior communications posts in the British civil service, and was press secretary to five Cabinet ministers, both Conservative and Labour.
Editor of News of the World from 1995 to 2000. Gave evidence that as editor he would constantly check whether a particular story was in the public interest and that the paper was adhering to PCC Code of Conduct principles. Hall told the Inquiry that the paper would not, for example, run stories about minors or report a medical issue without the consent of the subject. There had been no phone hacking during his time as editor, he said. In February 2003, he became Director of Editorial Development at Trinity Mirror, leaving two years later to found PR company PHA Media.
Public relations consultant at time of giving evidence and a former editor of The Sun newspaper, which he left in 1998. Higgins had worked for The Sun from 1979 as their West Country reporter and acquired notoriety when he was arrested in 1982 after being found with a Sun photographer "testing security" at Highgrove House, the home of the Prince of Wales. In 1994, he became editor of the paper, quickly winning Scoop of the Year awards for a story about the Queen ordering the then Princess of Wales and the Prince of Wales to divorce.
At the time of the Inquiry, Marratt was Communications Officer of Surrey Police. As head of the "Fast-time Communications Team", he was responsible for handling urgent or imminent communications requests, both internal and external. Marratt answered questions from the Inquiry on relations with the media.
