Hackgate – Issues For The Burnton Inquiry Into The Murder Of Daniel Morgan

Home Secretary Theresa May gave evidence to Leveson plus a wealth of additional material.  Exhibit TM1 includes a detailed list of 27 concurrent ‘Inquiries/Enquiries/Reviews re Phone Hacking’, as at October 2011 (pp.433-434).  No 4 on her list is:

News: Operation Elveden, Sun Journalist and two others to be charged over alleged £17,000 payments for information

The Crown Prosecution Service have today announced that the Sun Whitehall editor, Clodagh Hartley and two others are to be charged with conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office.  The information concerned details of unannounced spending and policy decisions relating to the 2010 Budget and the coalition government’s deficit reduction plans.

Hackgate – The IPCC and Surrey’s “Collective Amnesia”

Published in late April ’13, the Independent Police Complaints Commision (IPCC) Commissioner’s Report entitled ’IPCC independent investigation into Surrey Police’s knowledge of the alleged illegal accessing of Amanda (Milly) Dowler’s mobile phone in 2002′ runs to just 6 scathing pages.  Its key observation is that

News: Operation Sacha, Rebekah Brooks’ Former Bodyguard Charged

There has been another charge arising out of Operation Sacha – the Metropolitan Police Service investigation into allegations of perverting the course of justice relating to Operation Weeting and Operation Elveden.  On 3 May 2013 the CPS announced that David Johnson, from Mitcham in Surrey, former bodyguard to Rebekah Brooks is to be charged with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

News: Four Mirror Journalists arrested over phone hacking

Four present or former Mirror journalists were arrested today by Metropolitan police officers on suspicion of conspiracy to hack mobile telephones.  Three men and one woman aged between 40 and 49 were held at addresses across south London and are being interviewed at various police stations in London and searches were continuing at a number of addresses.

News: Four public officials plead guilty over leaks to the Sun

Two former police officers, an ex-prison officer and another public official have admitted selling information to the Sun.  These are the first accused to plead guilty in relation to the investigation into alleged illegal payments by journalists.

News: Operation Weeting, new suspected hacking conspiracy, six more arrests [Updated]

The Metropolitan police have announced that Operation Weeting detectives have “identified a further suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails by a number of employees who worked for the now defunct News of the World newspaper“.

News International closes Phone Hacking Compensation Scheme – Steven Heffer

News International announced on Thursday 31 January 2013 that it will close down the Voicemail Interception Compensation Scheme (“the Scheme”) set up for News of the World phone hacking victims, just 14 months after it was launched.  The announcement says that phone hacking claims will not be considered for the Scheme after 8 April, meaning the only remedy will be more civil claims through the courts.

News: News International to close Phone Hacking Compensation Scheme in April

News International, also now known as NI Group, has just announced that its Compensation Scheme for victims of mobile phone interception is to close in April 2013.  The Scheme has been in operation since April 2011.  Compensation is assessed by former High Court Judge, Sir Charles Gray.  The announcement is in the following terms:

News: Metropolitan Police Officer convicted of misconduct over attempted sale of phone hacking information

Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn has been convicted of misconduct in a public office by a jury at Southwark Crown Court after she admitted telephoning the “News of the World” on 11 September 2010, shortly after the phone hacking inquiry was re-opening.  She is the first person to have been prosecuted under Operation Elveden, the investigation into improper police behaviour.