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James Murdoch at the Leveson inquiry - live coverage James Murdoch at the Leveson inquiry - live coverage
(40 minutes later)
10.57am: Murdoch says Myler and Crone were "more on the anxious side" at this meeting and keen to leave the room with the knowledge that they could settle the Gordon Taylor phone-hacking claim "at a higher number".
Jay suggests the reputational damage to the company was inextricably linked not because it was an old case but because it was something new. Murdoch says he was not told that.
Jay asks whether he believed that £350,000 was a generous figure to settle Taylor's claim. Murdoch says that he is not a lawyer so had no relevant experience.
10.55am: Murdoch believes there was not a "proactive desire" to bring him up to speed on the phone-hacking settlement with Gordon Taylor.
Jay asks whether there was an agenda for the 10 June 2008 meeting with Myler and Crone. Murdoch says there was not, adding that it was a "brief conversation that I've described at length".
Did Myler or Crone refer to the reputational damage of the company, Jay asks.
Murdoch says the message from Myler and Crone was "we don't want to have to go through that again," referring to the jailing of Clive Goodman.
He says:
It was referred to it was in the best interests of the business not to have this matter [from 2006] dug up again and dragged through the court ... we don't want to have to go through that again.
Murdoch says he was told that the Taylor phone-hacking claim should be settled, partly "not to drag up" events of the past. He adds that both News International and Taylor sought confidentiality with the settlement.
Murdoch says he now accepts that the "For Neville" email is "a thread" that raised the suspicion of wider phone hacking at the News of the World.
He adds:
The fact it suggested other people might have been involved in phone hacking – that part of its importance was not imparted to me that day.
10.44am: Dan Sabbagh, head of media at the Guardian, has just tweeted:
NewsInt executives seem to work hard to keep Goodman case, Goodman claim etc away from JRM on his account.
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) April 24, 2012
Murdoch says assurances made by News International executives to him were "consistent" in there was no evidence of widespread phone hacking.
Jay points out that Colin Myler told the Leveson inquiry previously he felt there were "bombs underneath the newsroom floor" when it came to phone hacking. Myler was appointed as editor of the News of the World following the resignation of Andy Coulson, who stepped down because the royal reporter Clive Goodman was found to have engaged in phone hacking on his watch.
Murdoch adds:
Their assurances to me were consistent as I said, the newspaper had been investigated thoroughly that no evidence had been found. That was entirely consistent from Mr Crone and Mr Myler all the way through.
He says he would have said "cut out the cancer" and believes "there was some desire not to do that".
That is my understanding that is something I have struggled with as well. Why wouldn't they tell me? They didn't. I don't want to conjecture but I think that must be it, that I would say 'cut out the cancer' and there was some desire not to do that.
10.40am: Jay is turning to the detail of email correspondence between James Murdoch, the News International solicitor Julian Pike, of Farrers, internal lawyers and the former news editor at NoW, Colin Myler.
Murdoch says if a "snatched" meeting between him and Myler on 27 May 2008 had gone into what was discussed in the correspondence he would have remembered it.
Murdoch says he was not aware of unfair dismissal claim by Clive Goodman, the jailed former News of the World reporter, or that he alleged that others at News International were involved in phone hacking.
10.38am: In reference to Dan Sabbagh's tweet (see 10:24am post). Here's Murdoch's 2009 MacTaggart lecture (pdf) which makes interesting reading after his comment about profitability and the demise of the News of the World.
10.36am: Leveson says that it's not what you put in place for the future but how it happened in the past.
"That was before I was there," says Murdoch.
"I appreciate that," says Leveson. "But you didn't pick up what went wrong in our systems earlier?"
"It was the absence of those things being done effectively," replies Murdoch.
10.35am: Lord Justice Leveson asks whether James Murdoch "probed the adequacy of the internal governance" at News International when he took over following the jailing of the News of the World royal reporter Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire over phone hacking.
Murdoch says:
In the newsroom it had not been tight enough and that's why a new editor was brought in who I thought had no skin in the game in the past … but the newsroom governance again was really an issue for the editor and the legal manager to be responsible for. They were clear they had strengthened governance to catch this sort of thing in the future.
10.34am: Here's a tweet from former News of the World journalist Tom Latchem:
Didn't read his papers, didn't choose editors, didn't read emails... What exactly DID he do for his multi-million pound salary? #Leveson
— Tom Latchem (@theboylatch) April 24, 2012
10.31am: Murdoch is asked about phone hacking, which Jay describes as "well-trodden ground".
Jay raises the "For Neville" email and Murdoch's 10 June 2008 meeting with Tom Crone, the News International lawyer, and former news editor of the News of the World Colin Myler.
Murdoch reasserts his position that he was not shown the email in that meeting. Crone and Myler have both put forward a different version of events.
He adds that he was given assurances by Daniel Cloke, the News International HR director, and Myler in December 2007 that phone hacking was all in the past.
10.26am: Jay asks about the appointment of Dominic Mohan as editor of the Sun.
Murdoch says he supported the appointment, which was the recommendation of his predecessor, Rebekah Brooks, and was approved by his father, Rupert Murdoch.
Jay asks whether he knew Mohan's political views? Murdoch says he does not.
10.24am: Murdoch is asked why he believes the News of the World was profitable. Murdoch says the now-closed title was "reasonably" profitable, adding:
The way we do business is part of the connection we have with our customers. In the end the profitability of the News of the World did not save it.
Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media at the high court, has just tweeted:
"The profitability of the NoW did not save it," says JRM - an oblique reference to his "only guarantee of independence is profit" speech.
— Dan Sabbagh (@dansabbagh) April 24, 2012
10.23am: Jay asks about the legal bill for the News of the World's Max Mosley sting.
Murdoch says he cannot recall the exact legal bill faced by News International, then publisher of the News of the World, but describes the episode as "very disappointing" and "a matter of great regret and the story shouldn't have been run".
He says does not recall concerns being raised about the "blackmail tactics", as described by Robert Jay, of the women involved in the Mosley expose.
Lord Justice Leveson asks whether he went into any detail to read the judge's comments on the Mosley episode.
Murdoch says it was made clear to Colin Myler, editor of the News of the World at the time, that it was an unfortunate story and there was a "strong indication that it shouldn't happen again".
"Getting it wrong spectacularly as that was, was made clear to Mr Myler with a strong indication it shouldn't happen again."
10.22am: My colleague Lisa O'Carroll has written a profile of Robert Jay who is questioning James Murdoch.
His strength is he is very good at getting on top of his brief, in terms of getting to the detail. Without any doubt, he will know his subject inside out. He gets to the office at 7.30am or 8am, he puts the hours in to get the detail. Judges love him
10.16am: Murdoch is asked whether he read the News of the World on a weekly basis.10.16am: Murdoch is asked whether he read the News of the World on a weekly basis.
He says he tried to "familiarise" himself with the Sun and read the News of the World but "not all of it".He says he tried to "familiarise" himself with the Sun and read the News of the World but "not all of it".
Murdoch says he recalls "receiving assurances" about ethics and journalistic practice at the News of the World "on a number of occasions".Murdoch says he recalls "receiving assurances" about ethics and journalistic practice at the News of the World "on a number of occasions".
The ethical and legal risk was "very much in the hands of the editor", Murdoch says, adding that he did not decide what was published by the News of the World or the Sun.The ethical and legal risk was "very much in the hands of the editor", Murdoch says, adding that he did not decide what was published by the News of the World or the Sun.
10.14am: Jay asks whether there were deficiencies in News International's system for identifying legal risks?10.14am: Jay asks whether there were deficiencies in News International's system for identifying legal risks?
Murdoch says: "With respect to newsgathering practices it's self evident in hindsight whatever controls were in place failed. However, there were senior legal managers working with the newsrooms ... at the time I didn't have the view whether they were insufficient or not."Murdoch says: "With respect to newsgathering practices it's self evident in hindsight whatever controls were in place failed. However, there were senior legal managers working with the newsrooms ... at the time I didn't have the view whether they were insufficient or not."
He adds:He adds:
We had a management board where senior executives would meet regularly … and there was ample opportunity to be able to discuss these issues and surface them. I think I would have had a reasonable expectation that having a legal manager so close to the newsroom was a protection that it ultimately proved not to provide.We had a management board where senior executives would meet regularly … and there was ample opportunity to be able to discuss these issues and surface them. I think I would have had a reasonable expectation that having a legal manager so close to the newsroom was a protection that it ultimately proved not to provide.
Murdoch is asked about corporate reputation. He says that legal risk is an important part of corporate reputation.Murdoch is asked about corporate reputation. He says that legal risk is an important part of corporate reputation.
10.10am: Jay asks Murdoch whether he felt in December 2007 that there was an open-management culture at News International.10.10am: Jay asks Murdoch whether he felt in December 2007 that there was an open-management culture at News International.
Murdoch replies that he felt the publisher was "different" to the management relations at BSkyB.Murdoch replies that he felt the publisher was "different" to the management relations at BSkyB.
Jay asks whether he felt that Colin Myler, then the editor of the News of the World was open with him in December 2007.Jay asks whether he felt that Colin Myler, then the editor of the News of the World was open with him in December 2007.
"At the time I had no reason to believe otherwise," says Murdoch."At the time I had no reason to believe otherwise," says Murdoch.
10.06am: James Murdoch says he resigned as BSkyB chairman "for the simple reason that I wanted to avoid becoming a lightning rod" for the pay-TV operator during the phone-hacking scandal at News International.10.06am: James Murdoch says he resigned as BSkyB chairman "for the simple reason that I wanted to avoid becoming a lightning rod" for the pay-TV operator during the phone-hacking scandal at News International.
He adds that "some people were trying to conflate" the hacking scandal with his role at BSkyB, so he resigned from the post earlier this month.He adds that "some people were trying to conflate" the hacking scandal with his role at BSkyB, so he resigned from the post earlier this month.
10.01am: James Murdoch is sworn in and has taken the witness stand.10.01am: James Murdoch is sworn in and has taken the witness stand.
Robert Jay, the lead counsel to the inquiry is questioning the elder son of Rupert Murdoch.Robert Jay, the lead counsel to the inquiry is questioning the elder son of Rupert Murdoch.
9.43am: James Murdoch arrived at the high court just before 9am, a full hour before he is due to take the witness stand, according to the Financial Times correspondent Ben Fenton.9.43am: James Murdoch arrived at the high court just before 9am, a full hour before he is due to take the witness stand, according to the Financial Times correspondent Ben Fenton.
James Murdoch has just arrived at the High Court. He was driven in through gates off the Strand.James Murdoch has just arrived at the High Court. He was driven in through gates off the Strand.
— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) April 24, 2012— Ben Fenton (@benfenton) April 24, 2012
Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media, is at the high court and likened the air of anticipation to the early days of the inquiry, when celebrities including Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller appeared to give evidence.Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media, is at the high court and likened the air of anticipation to the early days of the inquiry, when celebrities including Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller appeared to give evidence.
The entrance to the high court is lined with broadcasting trucks and photographers, and a smattering of campaigners from the activists network Avaaz, Sabbagh said.The entrance to the high court is lined with broadcasting trucks and photographers, and a smattering of campaigners from the activists network Avaaz, Sabbagh said.
Lisa O'Carroll, the Guardian's' media correspondent, has just tweeted:Lisa O'Carroll, the Guardian's' media correspondent, has just tweeted:
#leveson James Murdoch has arrived. Robert Jay in court 20m early. Air of anticipation#leveson James Murdoch has arrived. Robert Jay in court 20m early. Air of anticipation
— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) April 24, 2012— lisa o'carroll (@lisaocarroll) April 24, 2012
9.36am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog. James Murdoch will today testify on oath for almost six hours as the Leveson inquiry turns its attention to the relationship between proprietors and politicians.9.36am: Welcome to the Leveson inquiry live blog. James Murdoch will today testify on oath for almost six hours as the Leveson inquiry turns its attention to the relationship between proprietors and politicians.
James Murdoch, the eldest son of Rupert, is expected to give his account of the circumstances of News Corporation's takeover attempt of BSkyB, which was dropped at the height of the phone-hacking scandal last year. James Murdoch stepped down as executive chairman of BSkyB this month, having left News International, the publisher of the Sun and now-defunct News of the World, earlier this year.James Murdoch, the eldest son of Rupert, is expected to give his account of the circumstances of News Corporation's takeover attempt of BSkyB, which was dropped at the height of the phone-hacking scandal last year. James Murdoch stepped down as executive chairman of BSkyB this month, having left News International, the publisher of the Sun and now-defunct News of the World, earlier this year.
Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who exposed the scandal, has suggested a set of questions for the former Murdoch heir apparent to answer.Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who exposed the scandal, has suggested a set of questions for the former Murdoch heir apparent to answer.
The inquiry begins at 10am.The inquiry begins at 10am.
Comments have been turned off for legal reasons.Comments have been turned off for legal reasons.