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Parliament should resist Leveson's call for statutory change
Commenting on the findings of Lord Justice Leveson’s report into the culture, practices and ethics of the press, Mark Littlewood, Director General of the Institute of Economic Affairs, said:
“There is no place for so-called statutory underpinning of press regulation in a free and open society. Better enforcement of the criminal law, and improvements to it, can be achieved without raising the absurd spectre – as Lord Leveson did – of a police officer in every newsroom.
“The public interest will not be served by ending off-the-record, private briefings. Such a restriction would almost certainly have prevented a huge number of stories and scandals coming to public attention.
“Parliament should resist Leveson’s call for statutory change. If they do not, the free press in the United Kingdom should take a courageous stand and refuse to sign up to these arrangements.”
Notes to editors:
To arrange an interview with an IEA spokesperson, please contact Stephanie Lis, Director of Communications: 020 7799 8909, slis@iea.org.uk
Lord Justice Leveson’s report can be downloaded here.
The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.
“There is no place for so-called statutory underpinning of press regulation in a free and open society. Better enforcement of the criminal law, and improvements to it, can be achieved without raising the absurd spectre – as Lord Leveson did – of a police officer in every newsroom.
“The public interest will not be served by ending off-the-record, private briefings. Such a restriction would almost certainly have prevented a huge number of stories and scandals coming to public attention.
“Parliament should resist Leveson’s call for statutory change. If they do not, the free press in the United Kingdom should take a courageous stand and refuse to sign up to these arrangements.”
Notes to editors:
To arrange an interview with an IEA spokesperson, please contact Stephanie Lis, Director of Communications: 020 7799 8909, slis@iea.org.uk
Lord Justice Leveson’s report can be downloaded here.
The mission of the Institute of Economic Affairs is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social problems.
The IEA is a registered educational charity and independent of all political parties.
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