Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and private detective Jonathan Rees are among those who have been denied core participant status at the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics.
Lord Justice Leveson today published his ruling on who would be accorded this special status for part one of the hacking scandal inquiry – which is due to get under way in October.
Core participants in public inquiries can have extra rights to legal representation as well as the ability to cross-examine witnesses and make opening and closing submissions. They may also receive advance copies of the report and can benefit from advance disclosure of inquiry materials.
Leveson said that a group 46 “victims” who believe they have been subject to phone-hacking or other press excesses have been given core participant status.
These include MPs Chris Bryant, Tessa Jowell and Denis MacShane; lawyers such as Mark Lewis and Mark Thomson; Gerry and Kate McCann; libel victim Christopher Jefferies and a host of celebrities including: Hugh Grant, Abi Titmuss, JK Rowling and Ulrika Jonsson (see full list below).
National newspaper publishers News International, Northern and Shell, Associated Newspapers and Guardian News and Media were also accorded core participant status. Leveson said that these publishers had sought to be core participants because ” if the culture and practices of the press require change, the effect will be upon all”.
The Met Police is also to be a core participant.
Brooks was denied her request for core particpant status, as was Jonathan Rees – a private detective who has worked for News International and Mirror Group Newspapers. It appears that both were concerned that they will be subject to personal criticism by participants in the inquiry.
Brooks is also in the position of having one foot in the “victim” camp because her voicemails are believe to have been intercepted.
English Pen and Index on Censorship also had their requests for core participant status denied.
Leveson made it clear that future applications can be considered and that his position may be reviewed.
Trinity Mirror, the publisher of the Daily Mirror, does not appear to have applied to become a core participant in the inquiry as yet.
Because of the ongoing criminal investigation into hacking, the Leveson Inquiry has been divided up into two parts. Part one will look at the culture, practices and ethics of the press: it will first look at press and the public, then press and the police, press and politicians and finally the future.
Part two of the inquiry will look at the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International and other media organisations.
Leveson has been given 12 months to conclude the first part of the inquiry – but he has already made clear that it may not be possible to keep to that timescale.
Press “victims” accorded core-participant status in the Leveson Inquiry are:
1 Chris Bryant MP
2 Tessa Jowell MP
3 Denis MacShane MP
4 The Rt Hon Lord Prescott of Kingston upon Hull
5 Joan Smith
6 Christopher Shipman
7 Tom Rowland
8 Mark Lewis
9 Mark Thomson
10 Gerry McCann
11 Kate McCann
12 Christopher Jefferies
13 Max Moseley
14 Brian Paddick
15 Paul Gascoigne
16 David Mills
17 Sienna Miller
18 Hugh Grant
19 Ben Jackson
20 Ciara Parkes
21 Simon Hughes MP
22 Max Clifford
23 Sky Andrew
24 Ulrika Jonsson
25 Mark Oaten
26 Michele Milburn
27 Abi Titmuss
28 Calum Best
29 Claire Ward
30 Mary-Ellen Field
31 Gary Flitcroft
32 Ian Hurst
33 Shobna Gulati
34 Mike Hollingsworth
35 Kieron Fallon
36 Ashvini Sharma
37 Tim Blackstone
38 Valatina Semenenko
39 Sally Dowler
40 Bob Dowler
41 Gemma Dowler
42 Sheryl Gascoigne
43 Graham Shear
44 JK Rowling
45 James Watson
46 Margaret Watso
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