Leveson won’t interfere with stand-off over press regulation reform

Sir Brian Leveson has insisted that he will not interfere in the stand-off between politicians and the press over regulation reforms.

The judge said it would be “totally wrong” for him to comment on the controversy surrounding proposed changes which are based on his report last year. He also hinted that a planned second part of his inquiry, dealing with phone hacking, may never happen.

Sir Brian was giving evidence to a House of Lords select committee as the row over how to regulate the press rages on. Earlier this week, ministers rejected the industry's proposals for a new system underpinned by a Royal Charter.

However, culture secretary Maria Miller has indicated that she is still hoping to address media concerns by amending the government's plans — which have already received cross-party support in a Commons vote.

The document will be published on Friday, before being put to the Privy Council at the end of the month. Sir Brian told peers it would be "totally wrong" for a senior judge to step into the public domain by commenting further on press regulation.

“It would be absolutely inappropriate for me to come back into the question of my report or regulation of the press,” he said. “I was given a job to do — I was to examine the facts and make recommendations.”

He said some people might think he had already laid out his findings in “tedious detail”. “I have said all that I can say on the topic. Many, many people have asked me to give speeches, keynote lectures. They come in every week,” he added.

Sir Brian said he stood by what he said when he published his report last year: “I have done my best, it is for others to decide how to take this forward.”

Asked outside the hearing whether he would be declining to comment when he appears before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee tomorrow, the judge replied: "You will find out tomorrow, won't you?"