The phone hacking scandal has now cast its shadow so widely across British public life that only a full public inquiry can restore confidence in our press, police and government institutions.
What began as ‘one rogue reporter’ with a handful of victims is now acknowledged to be industrial-scale illegal information gathering, probably affecting thousands. All kinds of people, including royalty, cabinet ministers, celebrities, police officers, bereaved families and victims of crime have been targeted, and it seems it’s not just voicemail messages that have been hacked but also calls and emails, bank details and health records.
A full public inquiry into phone hacking and other forms of illegal intrusion by the press is imperative. The inquiry should cover:
The extent of the use of illegal information-gathering methods by the press, directly and through intermediaries;
The conduct of the Metropolitan Police Service in investigating these matters, and its relations with the press;
The communication between press and politicians in relation to these matters;
The conduct of the Press Complaints Commission and of the Information Commissioner, and of other relevant parties such as mobile telephone companies;
The lessons to be learned from these events and actions to be taken to ensure they are not repeated.
News International has been slow to acknowledge the extent of the wrongdoing. It has made limited admissions and is trying to buy off of civil claims. Most other news organizations have kept their reporting of the scandal to a minimum. And public concern has been heightened by the response to these activities from the Press Complaints Commission, the Metropolitan Police and by politicians and Government.
A police investigation and civil proceedings are under way, but they are narrowly focused. Even if there are prosecutions, they will concern themselves only with specific cases and individuals. Without an inquiry most of the evidence will stay secret and the wider story of illegal information-gathering and the official response to it will never be told.
Unanswered questions
Many questions remain unanswered: how extensive was illegal information-gathering? How did it affect our public life? Was everything done that should have been to halt it and expose and punish those responsible? And if not, why not? The longer these questions remain unanswered the more damage is done to confidence in our institutions.
Only a public inquiry with full powers to call for papers and summon witnesses can explore the full range of issues involved, establish what went wrong and identify lessons to be learned. Anything less risks leaving a lasting stain of suspicion on individuals, companies and institutions. Anything less would be widely seen, both in Britain and abroad, as a cover-up.