Important Update: Hacking Victims Lawyers Targeted
Just when I thought it was safe to go to bed Tom Watson has tweeted quite a devastating new story breaking overnight from the Independent. Just when the mendacity, bullying and abuse of power from News International seemed to have hit rock bottom, you hear the hand of corporate coverup tapping underneath
News International sanctioned the use of private detectives as recently as six months ago to conduct surveillance and compile dossiers on the private lives of three lawyers who are leading damages claims against the News of the World for illegal phone hacking.One of the lawyers, Mark Lewis, whose clients include the family of the murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, told The Independent that the use of private detectives against him "crossed a new line" and threatened his ability to do his job. The reports gathered on the lawyers include claims about their personal lives, political beliefs and health.
The dossiers were submitted to senior executives at Rupert Murdoch's newspaper group at a time when it was still seeking to limit the hacking scandal by insisting voicemail interception was restricted to a single "rogue" reporter. The Law Society described the allegations as "another low point" in the hacking scandal and said it had written to the Leveson inquiry asking for the issue to be explored in the course of its investigations into illegal newsgathering. The Independent understands that Tom Crone, the NOTW's former chief lawyer, will be asked by MPs on Tuesday who at News International (NI) was responsible for sanctioning the snooping operation against the lawyers, who include Charlotte Harris and Mark Thomson. He will be questioned by the House of Commons' Media Select Committee.
Next Tuesday is going to be even more of a schadenfreudefestschrift than I thought. Night all.
(Original Diary now below squiggle)