News International (NI) has referred an in-house lawyer at The Times to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) in relation to their role on the 'Nightjack' email hacking case.

The news emerged today (25 April) in News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch's witness statement to the Leveson Inquiry into media standards.

Murdoch's statement gives reference to the 2009 Nightjack case, which saw anonymous police blogger Richard Horton attempt to obtain a High Court injunction to prevent a reporter at The Times identifying him in the newspaper.

Mr Justice Eady ruled in favour of The Times, allowing the newspaper to reveal Horton's identity; however, it later emerged that the reporter in question, Patrick Foster, had uncovered Horton's identity through email hacking.

Murdoch's statement says: "I understand that NI has referred the in-house lawyer involved to the SRA and that NI has reviewed and issued guidance to all in-house lawyers following this matter."

The Times' former legal manager Alastair Brett came under scrutiny at Leveson last month after he conceded that the statements submitted to the High Court in the 2009 case were "not entirely accurate" and that he was trying to prevent a criminal prosecution being brought against Foster.

He told Lord Justice Leveson that statements presented to the court in the case "did not give the full story".

Horton is now suing The Times and has instructed Taylor Hampton's Mark Lewis to act for him, with Linklaters representing the newspaper.

NI and the SRA declined to comment.