A 17-month-long inquiry into press hacking in the United Kingdom has spread and uncovered evidence that computer hackers and private investigators were routinely hired by law firms, insurance companies, and telecoms to dig up information on blue chip industries. One law firm reportedly is trying to suppress some of that evidence.
The Global Legal Post, an international online law digest, reported Friday that the head of the inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson, said he was asked not to circulate a report detailing the illegal practices.
The existence of the secret report, written by the U.K.’s Serious Organised Crime Agency, was revealed a week ago. It states that law firms were among those most deeply involved in hiring private investigators to commit illegal acts in order to obtain sensitive information, according to the Post.
The Independent, a British newspaper, claimed the media law firm Bindmans in London was identified as asking Leveson to withhold the report from members of Parliament. But Bindmans denied the claim, and said the law firm wants the report introduced into evidence with certain information redacted, according to the newspaper.
Prime Minister David Cameron created the two-part Leveson inquiry to investigate the role of the press and police in the News of the World phone-hacking scandals in July 2011.
Official details on the inquiry can be found at levesoninquiry.org.uk.
