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| Leveson inquiry: Evgeny Lebedev, Aidan Barclay, John Ryley - live | Leveson inquiry: Evgeny Lebedev, Aidan Barclay, John Ryley - live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 12.07pm: Barr presses Ryley on whether it is appropriate for a journalist to attempt to illicitly uncover information which they do not believe was being actively sought by the prosecution. | |
| "It's very difficult to make a firm decision on a hypothetical story that might arise in the future," Ryley says. | |
| Lord Justice Leveson contrasts the approach of Sky News with that of the police, who would have had to obtain a warrant to access Darwin's emails. | |
| 12.05pm: Ryley says the Sky News correspondent, Gerard Tubb, believed he could uncover important evidence in the email account of John Darwin after conversations with "sources close to the prosecution" in the court case against either him and his wife, Anne, in 2008. | |
| Tubb accessed the emails on 13 June 2008 after a second conversation with sources close to the prosecution and after authorisation from Simon Cole, the former managing editor, says Ryley. He accessed further emails on 18 and 19 June, according to Ryley. | |
| Tubb was working on the story for six months, Ryley says, adding that there would have been a series of discussions between sources close to the protagonists on the story "and there would be a lot of give and take" of information. | |
| 12.01pm: Ryley says he learnt about the Sky News "canoe man" email hacking on 1 July 2008 and discovered more later. He says he learnt about the second instance of email hacking, of the "Smith family", in September 2011. | |
| Asked by Barr, Ryley says that Jeremy Darroch, chief executive of BSkyB, the owner of Sky News, would have been made aware by general counsel of the email hacking, but does not say when. | |
| 11.59am: Ofcom is to investigate Sky News over the hacking of John Darwin's email account. The full story by Mark Sweney can be read here. | |
| 11.53am: Ryley says it is "highly unlikely given the nature of our business" that Sky News journalists will be carrying out activity that is potentially unlawful. | |
| Barr asks where Sky News would draw the line in the future on prima facie illicit newsgathering methods. | |
| It is "highly unlikely" that Sky News will ever authorise email hacking or other subterfuge in the future, Ryley says. | |
| Barr presses Ryley on whether Sky News has entirely ruled it out. "Okay, I am pretty much ruling it out … but journalism is at times a tough business and at times we need to shed light on wrongdoing," Ryley says. | |
| 11.51am: Barr asks Ryley if use of subterfuge, including email hacking, would need to be authorised by him as head of news at the broadcaster. Ryley says that is correct. | |
| Ryley adds that Sky News is a "non-stop, instant" broadcaster on all platforms. He says there is a mandatory process whereby Sky News bosses authorise in writing potentially illicit newsgathering techniques believed to be in the public interest. | |
| 11.48am: Lord Justice Leveson intervenes to point out that the hacking of emails by a Sky News journalist was a prima facie breach of the criminal law. | |
| "Where does the Ofcom code give any authority for the breach of criminal law?" Leveson asks. | |
| "It doesn't," Ryley replies. | |
| 11.46am: Barr is asking Ryley about the public interest defences outlined in the Ofcom code of practice, which covers newsgathering for the purposes of "revealing or detecting crime". | |
| Ryley points out that there is no guidance on the use of subterfuge, and in particular about the interception of emails. | |
| 11.43am: Dan Sabbagh, our head of media at the Leveson inquiry, has just tweeted: | |
| Ryley says he has "ultimate editorial responsibility" for Sky News (except he didn't when the CEO pulled a F1 story recently). | |
| — Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) April 23, 2012 | |
| 11.42am: John Ryley, head of Sky News, has taken the witness stand. | |
| David Barr, the counsel to the inquiry, is questioning Ryley. | |
| 11.24am: More from Dan Sabbagh; this time on Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher who will give evidence this afternoon. He writes: | 11.24am: More from Dan Sabbagh; this time on Aidan Barclay, chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher who will give evidence this afternoon. He writes: |
| Aidan Barclay is the great unknown; the eldest son of Sir David Barclay, he, like the rest of his family, cultivate a profile so low that it is unclear what Aidan will say today, and what points he will get across. He may explain why the Barclays are such keen newspaper owners, paying £665m for the Telegraph, a sum they will be very unlikely to recoup in full, even if the newspaper is now profitable. | Aidan Barclay is the great unknown; the eldest son of Sir David Barclay, he, like the rest of his family, cultivate a profile so low that it is unclear what Aidan will say today, and what points he will get across. He may explain why the Barclays are such keen newspaper owners, paying £665m for the Telegraph, a sum they will be very unlikely to recoup in full, even if the newspaper is now profitable. |
| Aidan rarely appears in public (although he did appear in a Delaware court at the time of the Telegraph takeover battle). At that time Aidan struggled to account for the motivations and actions of his father and uncle Sir Frederick, but as chairman of the Telegraph Media Group (and an occasional visitor to Number 10) he is well placed to give an operational view. | Aidan rarely appears in public (although he did appear in a Delaware court at the time of the Telegraph takeover battle). At that time Aidan struggled to account for the motivations and actions of his father and uncle Sir Frederick, but as chairman of the Telegraph Media Group (and an occasional visitor to Number 10) he is well placed to give an operational view. |
| 11.14am: Dan Sabbagh expects Evgeny Lebedev, the young chairman of the Independent and the Standard, to speak about his familial ties to newspapers when he gives evidence to the inquiry this afternoon. | 11.14am: Dan Sabbagh expects Evgeny Lebedev, the young chairman of the Independent and the Standard, to speak about his familial ties to newspapers when he gives evidence to the inquiry this afternoon. |
| Sabbagh writes: | Sabbagh writes: |
| Expect Lebedev to say a little about why his family have come into newspapers, contrasting his experiences of Britain with Russia, where the family also owns half of Novaya Gazeta, the most independent Russian newspaper. Lebedev is more British than Russian; a dual national, he has lived here since he was 8. | |
| But while Lebedev will be very critical of phone hacking and law breaking by journalists, and is a strong believer in independent regulation, don't expect much other detail. The young owner has few detailed proposals about how to reform press regulation; it is a matter he is content to leave to specialists. | But while Lebedev will be very critical of phone hacking and law breaking by journalists, and is a strong believer in independent regulation, don't expect much other detail. The young owner has few detailed proposals about how to reform press regulation; it is a matter he is content to leave to specialists. |
| 11.03am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog. | |
| The inquiry begins today with John Ryley, the head of news at Sky News, at 11.30am. | The inquiry begins today with John Ryley, the head of news at Sky News, at 11.30am. |
| Ryley is expected to be asked about the circumstances behind a Sky News journalist who was authorised by bosses to hack into email accounts on two separate occasions. | Ryley is expected to be asked about the circumstances behind a Sky News journalist who was authorised by bosses to hack into email accounts on two separate occasions. |
| Sky News admitted earlier this month that Gerard Tubb, the broadcaster's north England correspondent, accessed the email accounts of John Darwin, the "canoe man" accused of faking his own death when his wife, Anne, was due to stand trial for deception in July 2008. The same reporter also accessed the email accounts of a suspected paedophile and his wife in an investigation that did not lead to any material being published or broadcast. | Sky News admitted earlier this month that Gerard Tubb, the broadcaster's north England correspondent, accessed the email accounts of John Darwin, the "canoe man" accused of faking his own death when his wife, Anne, was due to stand trial for deception in July 2008. The same reporter also accessed the email accounts of a suspected paedophile and his wife in an investigation that did not lead to any material being published or broadcast. |
| Both email interceptions were approved by Simon Cole, the former managing editor of Sky News, although the offence does not have a public interest defence under the Computer Misuse Act. Ryley defended the actions in a statement earlier this month as in the public interest and "a legitimate part of responsible journalism". | Both email interceptions were approved by Simon Cole, the former managing editor of Sky News, although the offence does not have a public interest defence under the Computer Misuse Act. Ryley defended the actions in a statement earlier this month as in the public interest and "a legitimate part of responsible journalism". |
| The inquiry will also hear today from Aidan Barclay, the chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher, Telegraph Media Group. It will be a rare public appearance for Barclay, who is the son of Telegraph Media Group co-owner Sir David Barclay. | The inquiry will also hear today from Aidan Barclay, the chairman of the Daily Telegraph publisher, Telegraph Media Group. It will be a rare public appearance for Barclay, who is the son of Telegraph Media Group co-owner Sir David Barclay. |
| Evgeny Lebedev, proprietor of the Independent and the London Evening Standard, will also give evidence on Monday. The Russian-born media boss bought the publisher behind the Evening Standard in January 2009 and became the owner of the Independent and Independent on Sunday in March 2010. | Evgeny Lebedev, proprietor of the Independent and the London Evening Standard, will also give evidence on Monday. The Russian-born media boss bought the publisher behind the Evening Standard in January 2009 and became the owner of the Independent and Independent on Sunday in March 2010. |
| Unlike Barclay, Lebedev has spoken publicly about his views on the future of press reform in Britain. He told a committee of MPs and Peers in January that the British press was "under-regulated and over-legislated". | Unlike Barclay, Lebedev has spoken publicly about his views on the future of press reform in Britain. He told a committee of MPs and Peers in January that the British press was "under-regulated and over-legislated". |
| Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media, is at the Royal Courts of Justice for the Leveson inquiry this week. He has filed this on today's hearing: | |
| Proprietors week begins at Leveson this morning. But while we wait for the Murdochs, plenty of interest looms on Monday. First up is John Ryley, the head of Sky News, and the only non-owner present. Ryley has been asked to explain why his executives authorised email hacking by reporter Gerard Tubb on two occasions – most notably in the case of now-jailed "canoe man" John Darwin. | |
| Email hacking is a breach of the Computer Misuse Act, to which there is no public interest defence written in law – but expect a strong defence from Ryley who will say the email access was in the public interest because it helped detect serious crime, namely that Darwin's wife Anne was aware that her husband had faked his own death and the two had cashed in on a life insurance policy. This morning will come down to this: when (if at all) is email hacking justified? | |
| Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. | Please note that comments have been switched off for legal reasons. |