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Dominic Mohan faces MPs and peers; PIs and mobile firms at Leveson inquiry Dominic Mohan faces MPs and peers; PIs and mobile firms at Leveson inquiry
(40 minutes later)
11.25am: Mohan says that earlier this week he saw "highly prejudicial" material posted on Twitter in relation to the Harry Redknapp tax evasion trial.
Caseby says "we just want to be treated the same" as social media. He acknowledges that it is a "massively difficult" problem to grapple with.
Legal counsel from Twitter last week indicated to the joint committee that it would comply with court orders and injunctions in the UK.
11.23am: Labour MP Tom Watson has published what he says is a letter from the Metropolitan police confirming that it is looking into allegations of email hacking at the Times.
11.22am: The Sun executives are asked about the breaching of injunctions on Twitter and other social networks.
Caseby says that Twitter is a "rival media" to newspapers. Mohan says "we are competing for eyeballs with social media".
On the Ryan Giggs injunction, Mohan says he was "very very" aware that many millions of Sun readers probably already knew the person behind the injunction.
"That ultimately, I would say, could put us out of business," Mohan says.
11.20am: Mohan tells the joint committee that he put a story to a well-known celebrity's agent who then demanded £5,000 or they would leak the story to a rival newspaper, which they later did.
He says this would make him think twice about giving that celebrity prior notification of stories in the future.
11.19am: The BBC's Ross Hawkins had just tweeted:
PI org chief Imossi says he "took it upon myself" to track down Derek Webb, Notw det, says Webb wasn't licensed as Webb claimed #leveson
— Ross Hawkins (@rosschawkins) February 2, 2012
11.17am: The Sun trio are asked about prior notification and privacy.
Mohan says in "90%-95%" of cases the Sun will pre-notify the subject of stories. However, he says he is not sure it would be workable to make prior notification mandatory.
11.12am: Mohan says he admonished staff over the Christopher Jefferies case for a "general slip in standards".
"Looking back on it I think there should have been more [criticism]," he says. He adds that he has issued more letters of admonishment since.
11.09am: Mohan says "we've learned our lesson" when asked about the Sun's Christopher Jefferies stories, which resulted in a libel settlement, along with seven other papers, and an £18,000 fine for contempt of court. The Daily Mirror was fined £50,000 for contempt of court.
He apologises to Jefferies for the coverage from December 2010 to January 2011, at which time he was on holiday.
"I've verbally admonished everyone involved in that story," he says. "I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly apologise to Mr Jefferies."
"We've learned our lessons. We have exercised restraint," Mohan says.
11.07am: Caseby says there have been a lot of changes in media law since the Kelvin MacKenzie "lob it in" school of journalism.
"We're engulfed by it now," he says of media law. He adds that in contrast to the "lob it in" school, the Sun is more "Rafel Nadal doing a well-executed, forensic serve".
11.06am: Lisa O'Carroll has just tweeted from the Leveson inquiry:
#leveson vodafone says suspect news int line contacted 177 voicemails relating to 40 victims. O2 40 victims, orange 45, tmobile 71
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) February 2, 2012
11.06am: Mohan says there would be "big questions asked" if there were eight injunctions running for stories "that might only run on page 18".
11.03am: The PCC code has been made "really prominent" in News International staff contracts, says Caseby.
11.00am: The three witnesses are asked whether they are choosing not to publish stories because of the "heat" on the press at the moment.
Mohan raises an example of a sting operation from several months ago and says "we weren't cowed" then and have not been cowed on several stories since.
Caseby says since July the Sun has logged every discussion about public interest.
10.57am: Lisa O'Carroll has just tweeted from the Leveson inquiry:
#leveson ICO breaches of data between 08 and 11. BT: 42. Vodafone 18. Talk talk: 12, sky 10, orange1,
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) February 2, 2012
10.56am: Mohan says the Sun had "quite a number" of injunctions awarded against the paper last year. The Sun did hold back from publishing stories out of a fear of injunctions, he says.
He says the Sun will choose to fight one or two that he thinks the readers will be interested in.
Mohan says he chose not to run about a story about an actor suffering from depression because he saw it as an invasion of her privacy. The actor later sold her story to a rival newspaper "for quite a large amount of money," he says.
10.54am: The BBC's Ross Hawkins has tweeted this update from the Leveson inquiry:
Vodafone rep says doesn't know why they didn't do more to act on whistleblower evidence about ease of phone hacking when 1st warned #leveson
— Ross Hawkins (@rosschawkins) February 2, 2012
He adds:
Since 2009 13 Vodafone investigations into personaldata security breaches have resulted in dismissal or disciplinary action #leveson
— Ross Hawkins (@rosschawkins) February 2, 2012
10.51am: Caseby says the Sun team run newspapers not corporate communications, when asked to justify how they "treat individual cases" of public interest.
"There is no getting away from the fact these are difficult times of News International, difficult times for the Sun," says Caseby.
He says phone hacking was "truly shocking" and he was "aghast" at it.
Caseby is asked about an alleged News International cover-up.
He says: "I don't necessarily agree that that's true, but I don't know everything that's been done."
A committee member says to Caseby: You"'re talking about freedom of expression being sacred... One of the great problems we have with this committee is members of the press talking about the importance of freedom of the press – and the committee agrees about the importance of this – but not living up to it in their own behaviour."
10.46am: Caseby says he would like parliament to have a go at better defining the public interest with regards to privacy law.10.46am: Caseby says he would like parliament to have a go at better defining the public interest with regards to privacy law.
He says that public interest in the PCC code reflects current mood is "tremendously flexible", compared to the "three-ton sloth" of statute.He says that public interest in the PCC code reflects current mood is "tremendously flexible", compared to the "three-ton sloth" of statute.
10.42am: Our media reporter Lisa O'Carroll has this update from the Leveson inquiry:10.42am: Our media reporter Lisa O'Carroll has this update from the Leveson inquiry:
#leveson all three mobile phone execs say no customer service staff have access to info showing location of phone.#leveson all three mobile phone execs say no customer service staff have access to info showing location of phone.
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) February 2, 2012— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) February 2, 2012
10.41am: Ben Fenton, the FT's media correspondent, has just tweeted:10.41am: Ben Fenton, the FT's media correspondent, has just tweeted:
Caseby:There is legal software for £5K with 50m UK phone numbers 14m mobiles. 10m ex-directory numbers. A disconnection. #privacyCaseby:There is legal software for £5K with 50m UK phone numbers 14m mobiles. 10m ex-directory numbers. A disconnection. #privacy
— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) February 2, 2012— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) February 2, 2012
10.39am: Caseby talks about modern technology and says that "the world is moving under people's feet" with regarding privacy.10.39am: Caseby talks about modern technology and says that "the world is moving under people's feet" with regarding privacy.
He moves on to ex-directory telephone numbers, saying there is a "disconnection" between the outrage over journalists discovering ex-directory numbers while people are using modern technology to upload details about their private life.He moves on to ex-directory telephone numbers, saying there is a "disconnection" between the outrage over journalists discovering ex-directory numbers while people are using modern technology to upload details about their private life.
"We are arguing about how are we going to stop this horse and cart when people are whizzing by in a Model T Ford," he says."We are arguing about how are we going to stop this horse and cart when people are whizzing by in a Model T Ford," he says.
10.37am: Walford tells the committee that the high court is the best place to decide issues relating to privacy.10.37am: Walford tells the committee that the high court is the best place to decide issues relating to privacy.
"To me it is the court's decision … as a lawyer I do have trust in the courts and in the judges," he says."To me it is the court's decision … as a lawyer I do have trust in the courts and in the judges," he says.
He welcomes Rio Ferdinand losing his "kiss and tell" privacy case against the Sunday Mirror and says it proves there is a public interest defence for tabloid newspapers.He welcomes Rio Ferdinand losing his "kiss and tell" privacy case against the Sunday Mirror and says it proves there is a public interest defence for tabloid newspapers.
10.32am: Caseby says there is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.10.32am: Caseby says there is a public interest in freedom of expression itself.
Mohan adds that the public interest is "impossible to define", even with guidance from the PCC code. He says it has to be defined on a case by case basis – and will not be decided by the Leveson inquiry.Mohan adds that the public interest is "impossible to define", even with guidance from the PCC code. He says it has to be defined on a case by case basis – and will not be decided by the Leveson inquiry.
Caseby contrasts the public interest on stories in the Sun from the Sunday Times, his former newspaper. "It's not the definition [of the public interest], it's the kind of stories you're doing," he says.Caseby contrasts the public interest on stories in the Sun from the Sunday Times, his former newspaper. "It's not the definition [of the public interest], it's the kind of stories you're doing," he says.
"Hypocrisy" provides a public interest for certain stories, Caseby says, mentioning stories about footballers who had spoken widely about their private life in newspapers."Hypocrisy" provides a public interest for certain stories, Caseby says, mentioning stories about footballers who had spoken widely about their private life in newspapers.
Rio Ferdinand talked in interviews and on Twitter about how he was happily married – when this got to court judge ruled that he was being hypocritical, Caseby says.Rio Ferdinand talked in interviews and on Twitter about how he was happily married – when this got to court judge ruled that he was being hypocritical, Caseby says.
10.27am: The inquiry is under way.10.27am: The inquiry is under way.
Sun editor Dominic Mohan, News Group Newspapers group managing editor Richard Caseby and deputy legal manager Justin Walford are asked about the balance between privacy and freedom of expression.Sun editor Dominic Mohan, News Group Newspapers group managing editor Richard Caseby and deputy legal manager Justin Walford are asked about the balance between privacy and freedom of expression.
Mohan says that "freedom of expression carries a very very heavy weight" but that it has "moved in favour of privacy".Mohan says that "freedom of expression carries a very very heavy weight" but that it has "moved in favour of privacy".
He says he is concerned about injunctions and raises Fred Goodwin's gagging order against the Sun from last year.He says he is concerned about injunctions and raises Fred Goodwin's gagging order against the Sun from last year.
"Sexual behaviour can affect decision-making. It can affect judgment," Mohan says. "That was an example where privacy heavily outweighed freedom of expression.""Sexual behaviour can affect decision-making. It can affect judgment," Mohan says. "That was an example where privacy heavily outweighed freedom of expression."
He adds that any statutory involvement in this is the "thin end of the wedge" and "very very dangerous".He adds that any statutory involvement in this is the "thin end of the wedge" and "very very dangerous".
10.21am: Teh Guardian's Dan Sabbagh has just tweeted:10.21am: Teh Guardian's Dan Sabbagh has just tweeted:
Long loiter outside parliamentary ctte room waiting for Sun editor to give evidence. Mohan in conversation w Tom Newton DunnLong loiter outside parliamentary ctte room waiting for Sun editor to give evidence. Mohan in conversation w Tom Newton Dunn
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 2, 2012— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 2, 2012
10.20am: While we're waiting, Reuters has just published an analysis piece, headed: "Inside Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper cleanup operation".10.20am: While we're waiting, Reuters has just published an analysis piece, headed: "Inside Rupert Murdoch's UK newspaper cleanup operation".
You can read the full story here.You can read the full story here.
9.57am: The Metropolitan police is investigating alleged email hacking at the Times, in response to a letter from the Labour MP Tom Watson.9.57am: The Metropolitan police is investigating alleged email hacking at the Times, in response to a letter from the Labour MP Tom Watson.
Officers from Operation Tuleta, which is investigating breaches of privacy involving computers, are in contact with the MP in relation to "specific issues" he wishes to raise, Scotland Yard confirmed on Thursday.Officers from Operation Tuleta, which is investigating breaches of privacy involving computers, are in contact with the MP in relation to "specific issues" he wishes to raise, Scotland Yard confirmed on Thursday.
Watson wrote to the Met's deputy assistant commissioner, Sue Akers, on 23 January asking the force to investigate allegations of email hacking at the News International paper.Watson wrote to the Met's deputy assistant commissioner, Sue Akers, on 23 January asking the force to investigate allegations of email hacking at the News International paper.
The Met said in a statement: "We can confirm that a letter was received on Monday 23 January, from MP Tom Watson.The Met said in a statement: "We can confirm that a letter was received on Monday 23 January, from MP Tom Watson.
"Officers from Operation Tuleta are in contact with Mr Watson in relation to specific issues he wishes to raise. We are not prepared to give a running commentary on the Operation Tuleta investigation.""Officers from Operation Tuleta are in contact with Mr Watson in relation to specific issues he wishes to raise. We are not prepared to give a running commentary on the Operation Tuleta investigation."
You can read the full story here.You can read the full story here.
9.55am: Dan Sabbagh has just tweeted that Dominic Mohan has been recalled to give more evidence to the Leveson inquiry.9.55am: Dan Sabbagh has just tweeted that Dominic Mohan has been recalled to give more evidence to the Leveson inquiry.
Dominic Mohan, Sun editor, has been recalled to Leveson Inquiry to give more evidence. Mohan also before MPs + peers this amDominic Mohan, Sun editor, has been recalled to Leveson Inquiry to give more evidence. Mohan also before MPs + peers this am
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 2, 2012— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) February 2, 2012
9.51am: Good morning and welcome to the joint Leveson and Westminster live blog.9.51am: Good morning and welcome to the joint Leveson and Westminster live blog.
This morning the live blog will be centred on the Sun editor, Dominic Mohan, who is giving evidence to a parliamentary committee on privacy and injunctions. Mohan will appear at 10.15am alongside Richard Caseby, managing editor of the publisher of the Sun, News Group Newspapers, and Justin Walford, legal manager of News Group Newspapers.This morning the live blog will be centred on the Sun editor, Dominic Mohan, who is giving evidence to a parliamentary committee on privacy and injunctions. Mohan will appear at 10.15am alongside Richard Caseby, managing editor of the publisher of the Sun, News Group Newspapers, and Justin Walford, legal manager of News Group Newspapers.
Lord Hunt, the new chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), is also giving evidence to the join Commons and Lords committee.Lord Hunt, the new chairman of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC), is also giving evidence to the join Commons and Lords committee.
We will have coverage from the Leveson inquiry, where bosses from the major mobile networks – including O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere – will give evidence on voicemail interception. private investigators industry will also appear.We will have coverage from the Leveson inquiry, where bosses from the major mobile networks – including O2, Vodafone and Everything Everywhere – will give evidence on voicemail interception. private investigators industry will also appear.
Our roving media correspondent, Lisa O'Carroll, is at the high court for the Leveson inquiry. You can follow her on Twitter at @lisaocarroll. Dan Sabbagh, our head of media, is in Westminster for the Sun's appearance before the privacy and injunctions committee. He is on Twitter at @dansabbagh.Our roving media correspondent, Lisa O'Carroll, is at the high court for the Leveson inquiry. You can follow her on Twitter at @lisaocarroll. Dan Sabbagh, our head of media, is in Westminster for the Sun's appearance before the privacy and injunctions committee. He is on Twitter at @dansabbagh.