Member News
By Lord Grantchester - 15th November 2011
Lord Grantchester argues, in the week the Leveson's Inquiry takes its first witness examinations, that further responsibility needs to be placed upon editors and proprieters to curtail illegal practices.
Quite rightly, the public want a free press but also an honest one.
The inquiry led by Lord Justice Leveson into the culture, practices and ethics of the press was set up in July, following the News of the World phone-hacking scandal and revelations that police officers were being paid for information by journalists.
The Inquiry began its witness examination sessions this week. It will eventually, I hope, make a set of sound recommendations on the governance and regulation of the press. If applied forcefully enough, we might then be able to look at what has emerged in the past year as a low but passing phase in the history of the British newspaper media.
While I respect that the Leveson Inquiry has been given a job to do on the future of the press, the question of criminality within actions already uncovered – and perhaps others to be revealed – is alive and current. At Lords questions today therefore, I will ask the government what measures are being taken to prevent journalists from citing the protection of sources as a means of avoiding prosecution for illegal activities, such as phone hacking.
Also in July of this year, the Bribery Act came into play. This requires company owners to put in place adequate procedures to make sure their employees are acting according to the law and not undertaking any corrupt practices. If they do not, the company becomes corporately liable because of the acts of individuals they employ.
It would be helpful therefore to understand what steps ministers are intending to take to ensure it is possible to discover whether the owners or editors of newspapers have authorised or paid for illegal activity.
Indeed, I would hope the government is in the business of placing a requirement on the editors and owners of newspapers and other media to disclose information, including within annual reports, relating to such authorisation and payment. This additional responsibility would help ensure we have the press practices that the public wants.
Christopher Suenson-Tayloris a hereditary peer and an opposition whip in the Lords. He first entered the House in 1995 and sits on the Labour benches.
Dods Parliamentary Communications Ltd