Cameron accused of ‘ripping heart’ out of Leveson report
2 Dec 2012 5:16 AM IST
The Leveson inquiry into British media ethics has proved to be a double whammy for Prime Minister David Cameron as the report has exposed divisions within the ruling coalition while the victims of press abuse accused him of ‘ripping the heart and soul’ of the judge's key recommendation.
Lord Justice Brian Leveson on Thursday called for setting up a new independent media watchdog - which he said should be underpinned by legislation.
Leveson found that behaviour of the British media was ‘outrageous’ and ‘wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people’. He said the press - having failed to regulate itself in the past - must create a new and tough regulator but it had to be backed by legislation to ensure it was effective. Currently, the British press is self-regulated through the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).
But Leveson, who based his report on eight months of testimony from hacking victims, politicians and media figures, said that a statutory body such as Ofcom should take responsibility for monitoring an overhauled PCC.
However, the 2,000-page report exposed divisions in the coalition, with Cameron opposing statutory control, unlike his deputy Nick Clegg.
Lord Justice Brian Leveson on Thursday called for setting up a new independent media watchdog - which he said should be underpinned by legislation.
Leveson found that behaviour of the British media was ‘outrageous’ and ‘wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people’. He said the press - having failed to regulate itself in the past - must create a new and tough regulator but it had to be backed by legislation to ensure it was effective. Currently, the British press is self-regulated through the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).
But Leveson, who based his report on eight months of testimony from hacking victims, politicians and media figures, said that a statutory body such as Ofcom should take responsibility for monitoring an overhauled PCC.
However, the 2,000-page report exposed divisions in the coalition, with Cameron opposing statutory control, unlike his deputy Nick Clegg.
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