Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper subsidiary reached a new batch of settlements in the hacking scandal that has convulsed parts of the British press, police and political establishment, according to lawyers.
... Mr. Murdoch’s media empire agreed to pay substantial damages to several dozen high-profile victims of phone and e-mail hacking, and lawyers for those victims said they had seen documents showing that senior managers not only knew about the practice but also lied about it and destroyed evidence as part of a cover-up. ...
... The settlements disclosed last month included those of the actor Jude Law, who received about $200,000; Sadie Frost, his ex-wife, who received $77,000; Ben Jackson, his assistant, who received $61,000; Gavin Henson, a Welsh rugby star, who also received $61,000; and Denis MacShane, a member of Parliament, who received $50,000.
It was unclear how much the Murdoch businesses will end up having to pay after all the cases are settled.
According to the police, there may be as many as 800 victims.
New Settlements in Britain’s Hacking Scandal
ReplyDeleteby Ravi Somaiya and Alan Cowell
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/world/europe/new-settlements-in-britains-hacking-scandal.html?ref=europe
Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper subsidiary reached a new batch of settlements on Wednesday in the hacking scandal that has convulsed parts of the British press, police and political establishment, according to lawyers.
ReplyDeleteIn January, Mr. Murdoch’s media empire agreed to pay substantial damages to several dozen high-profile victims of phone and e-mail hacking, and lawyers for those victims said they had seen documents showing that senior managers not only knew about the practice but also lied about it and destroyed evidence as part of a cover-up.
On Wednesday, nine out of 10 remaining cases in a first wave of suits brought against News International were settled, said Hugh Tomlinson, a lawyer for the victims. The only outstanding case was one concerning a singer, Charlotte Church.
But, Mr. Tomlinson said, six more suits had been filed and 50 were being prepared.
A spokeswoman for News International, the British newspaper subsidiary of Mr. Murdoch’s News Corporation, confirmed that the settlements had been reached, but would not comment on them “beyond what’s being read into court.”
Among the cases settled was that of the comedian Steve Coogan, who received a settlement of around $64,000. A Liberal Democrat lawmaker, Simon Hughes, received around $72,000, according to The Press Association news agency.
Alastair Campbell, the former media adviser to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, said in a statement that he had reached a “satisfactory” settlement, The Press Association said.
In a statement Mr. Hughes, who had first brought a criminal case for phone hacking in 2006, said he had decided to settle because he was “completely satisfied that the evidence which currently exists in relation to my case has been disclosed to or is being made available to my lawyers.”
There is no confidentiality clause in the settlement, he warned — News International is obliged by its terms to disclose any new information and will be “open to further action.” Mr. Hughes also condemned the original police inquiry for failing to act on the information it had of hacking on an “industrial scale.”
The scandal exploded last year as the extent of phone hacking became known, centering on the now-defunct News of the World, a Sunday tabloid. Some of the tabloid’s reporters were accused of hacking the voice-mail messages of well-known show business people, politicians and others.
One of the first settlements was with the family of Milly Dowler, a British schoolgirl whose cellphone was hacked after she was abducted and murdered in 2002.
The scandal cast a spotlight on British police officials who are accused of failing to investigate the hacking at the time.
ReplyDeleteScotland Yard formally acknowledged on Tuesday that it had acted unlawfully in 2006 and 2007 in failing to notify hundreds of individuals who had been targeted by The News of the World.
Senior officers at Scotland Yard have previously rejected accusations that they tried to quash a wide-ranging inquiry into the hacking as part of a cozy relationship with News International.
Scotland Yard lawyers said the failure to investigate more thoroughly resulted from the pressure the police were under to investigate terrorism threats.
The settlements disclosed last month included those of the actor Jude Law, who received about $200,000; Sadie Frost, his ex-wife, who received $77,000; Ben Jackson, his assistant, who received $61,000; Gavin Henson, a Welsh rugby star, who also received $61,000; and Denis MacShane, a member of Parliament, who received $50,000.
It was unclear how much the Murdoch businesses will end up having to pay after all the cases are settled.
According to the police, there may be as many as 800 victims.