‘Still threats to free press’ after Minister drops legal cost plans for libel cases

THE GOVERNMENT has ditched the second part of the Leveson Inquiry, which was due to look into unlawful conduct within media organisations as well as relations between police and the press.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that reopening the “costly and time-consuming” inquiry – which reported on press regulation and ethics in 2012 – was not “the right way forward”.

Mr Hancock also announced yesterday that the Government would not put into effect a controversial measure which would have required media organisations to sign up to a state-backed regulator or risk having to pay legal costs in both sides of a libel case, even if they won.

Ministers will seek to repeal the measure, contained in Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, “at the earliest opportunity”, he told MPs.

Responding to the announcement, Ian Murray, executive director of the Society of Editors, welcomed the “common-sense approach” but warned that further challenges to press freedom remained in the shape of the House of Lords amendments to the Data Protection Bill.

He said: “The decision that a costly Leveson II inquiry will not now go ahead and today’s renewed pledge by the Government to lift the very real threat posed to the existence of some local and national newspapers by Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act is extremely welcome.

“It is important to remember that there still remain threats to a free press in this country in particular the amendments posed to the Data Protection Bill by the House of Lords.

“The amendments pose extreme financial threats to newspapers and, if granted, would curb genuine investigative journalism by all sections of the media.”

Labour Shadow Culture Secretary Tom Watson described the decision not to go ahead with the second part of Leveson as “a bitter blow to the victims of press intrusion”.