Produced in consultation with victims of press abuse and supporters of Hacked Off, the Leveson Bill has been drafted by Hugh Tomlinson QC, the chair of Hacked Off, and legislative expert and specialist Parliamentary Counsel Daniel Greenberg.
(Pictured are: Victims of phone hacking and press harassment including former Crimewatch presenter, Jacqui Hames, the academic, Christopher Jefferies, wrongly accused of the murder of a Bristol woman, and the ex- Eastenders actor Mo George launch the Leveson Bill outside the Cabinet Office in Westminster.)
Designed to reflect as closely as possible in legislative form the recommendations in the inquiry report, says Hacked Off, the bill:
• Enshrines the freedom of the press in statute for the first time, making attempted ministerial or other state interference in the media explicitly illegal,
• Specifies the standards which the voluntary independent press self-regulator will have to meet to satisfy public demand for a system that is effective and independent of Government, Parliament and the newspaper industry,
• Proposes a transparent, democratic system to appoint a Recognition Commission to verify on behalf of the public that the press self-regulator is doing its job properly,
• Gives legal effect to Leveson’s ‘carrots and sticks’, incentivising publishers to join the self regulator through access, under specified circumstances, to reduced costs in court proceedings and protection from exemplary damages,
• Is a faithful representation of the Leveson Report, sticking so far as possible to the intention, content and language of the Inquiry conclusions, with the bare minimum of wording changes and additions required to meet the requirements of legislation.
The Leveson Bill will now be put forward for public consultation with victims of press abuse, supporters of Hacked Off, civil society groups and other interested parties, with a view to providing the best possible basis for the legislation that Lord Justice Leveson declared essential to underpin a regulatory system that breaks the historic pattern of failure.
Hacked Off’s inclusive and consultative approach stands in stark contrast to the secretive and opaque activities of ministers, editors and newspaper proprietors in the weeks since the Leveson Report was published, says the campaign group.
Professor Brian Cathcart, Director of Hacked Off said: “Lord Justice Leveson conducted a thorough and painstaking inquiry, hearing all the evidence on all sides, and he delivered a thoughtful and balanced report, making clear recommendations on the best way forward. His report was very critical of the press and also of politicians, so neither group is in any position to quibble with his findings.
“The right thing to do now is to implement the judge’s recommendations on press regulation in full and without delay. Our draft Bill – the Leveson Bill – offers a plain and straightforward way of doing that. This is not a bill for press regulation as Hacked Off or anyone else would wish it: it is a bill to underpin voluntary press self-regulation in the way Lord Justice Leveson wanted it.
“There are other schemes and ideas in the air, including other draft bills and a proposal for a Royal Charter.
“None of these complies with the Leveson Report and all are likely to water down or distort his proposals. Only the Leveson Bill can deliver the considered and balanced new scheme designed by the judge to safeguard press freedom while at the same time protecting the public from press abuses.
“Hacked Off calls on all MPs, and peers and every group or individual interested in these matters, to read the bill, participate in the consultation and give this process their backing, so that we can put behind us 70 years of editorial unaccountability and abuses. This is the best way to achieve a free and vigorous press that does not wilfully trample on the rights of citizens.”
About Hacked Off
Hacked Off says: “Hacked Off is a not-for-profit company, founded by Brian Cathcart, Professor of Journalism at Kingston University and Martin Moore, Director of the Media Standards Trust. Among its high profile supporters are the actor, Hugh Grant, the comedian Steve Coogan and the singer Charlotte Church, though the vast majority of Hacked Off supporters are not well known: ordinary men and women who became victims of press harassment and intrusion through no fault of their own, alongside concerned members of the general public, nearly 150,000 of whom have signed the online petition calling for the recommendations of the Leveson Inquiry in relation to press regulation to be implemented in full.
The Board of Directors comprises Hugh Tomlinson QC of Matrix Chambers (chair); Prof. Steve Barnett of the University of Westminster; Prof. Natalie Fenton of Goldsmiths, University of London; Hugh Grant; Charlotte Harris, Partner, Mishcon de Reya; and Will Moy, Director, Full Fact. Prof. Cathcart is executive director and Dr Evan Harris is associate director.”
