Murdoch hacking scandal latest

[scottycelt]

Apparently Father Rupert & Sonny Jim are now coming to the hearing, according to BBC NEWS 24 ...

[Anna]

Apparently Father Rupert & Sonny Jim are now coming to the hearing, according to BBC NEWS 24 ...

Plus now, Rebekah Brooks. Although in a letter to the committee Mrs Brooks warned that the ongoing Scotland Yard investigation into the phone-hacking scandal "may prevent me from discussing these matters in details".

Cue The Three Wise Monkeys as Milly's lawyers have said....

[Stunsworth]

I believe they've been in touch with London zoo and have ordered a bottle of crocodile tears.

[scottycelt]

Plus now, Rebekah Brooks. Although in a letter to the committee Mrs Brooks warned that the ongoing Scotland Yard investigation into the phone-hacking scandal "may prevent me from discussing these matters in details".

Cue The Three Wise Monkeys as Milly's lawyers have said....

Mr Lewis, the Dowlers' lawyer has been an undoubted star in this otherwise murky and sordid affair. He says it is almost like Milly has returned to make sure the Press and others change the way they operate in this country. After the unimaginable nightmare (s) that this brave family have endured it must be a huge consolation for them that this could well prove to be the case, and Milly's name will be go down in history forever.

If so, that will be the one heart-warming result of a truly depressing series of events and disclosures ...

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, that is a very, very, good point. Steve Richards has written that MPs are "frightened". Some feel that their influence is minute compared with that of the unaccountable. This should be concerning to all.

Meanwhile, it is revealed that senior civil servants went to a burlesque event on an awayday. How times change. Back in my day, we were merely obliged to spend a day of teambuilding learning circus skills like juggling.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8615762/Civil-servants-pay-4719-for-away-day-at-burlesque-club.html

Oh, and very large bonuses are about to be paid out to the senior officials. They regret that they are unable to prevent it because the system was introduced by Labour and has never been changed!

[MrGongGong]

Mr Lewis, the Dowlers' lawyer has been an undoubted star in this otherwise murky and sordid affair. He says it is almost like Milly has returned to make sure the Press and others change the way they operate in this country. After the unimaginable nightmare (s) that this brave family have endured it must be a huge consolation for them that this could well prove to be the case, and Milly's name will be go down in history forever.

If so, that will be the one heart-warming result of a truly depressing series of events and disclosures ...

Is it just me or do other people find it more than a little unsettling that the families of crime victims are somehow given the platform to dictate policy ?
For most of us this (happily ) isn't something that will happen to us BUT if one of my children was the victim of a crime I really don't think that I should be allowed to decide what happens ....... surely thats why we have the legal system as separate from people taking revenge ?
The media seems to like the relatives of murder victims (who have indeed suffered terribly ) to appear on TV making statements , I do find this more than a little distasteful and prurient. This is NOT to say that its OK to "hack" the phones of ordinary people who happen to become in the public eye through them being the victims of crime ........

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

not just you MrGongGong; hacking is off limits for anyone or no one and the 'industrial' scale is the real issue ..... the Dowler family have had grievous insult added to an awful injury, and while respecting that, i do not see that they have any privilege in the debate at all .... but the US Senator on the news last night was quite explicit, if News Corp has hacked the phones of 9/11 victims that would be curtains .... it is a troubling double standard i find, does celebrity or political status entail the loss of a basic and codified right to both privacy and its protection? i recall in earlier debate on the bored referring to the hugely industrial scale of routine police and governmental hacking that goes on, we seem to have lost sight of that ....

[MrGongGong]

Its a tricky area all over indeed Calum
I do think that celebrity and political status does mean an inevitable loss of the right to privacy. I don't think it should be the same for these folk as for crime victims and their families. Those who rely on it to either get elected or sell their latest film or CD can't really complain that the publicity they courted continues into areas that they maybe aren't so happy about. Celebs and politicians do have a choice and its part of the gig really.The whole Diana "look at me, take my picture" then "stop harassing me" stuff seems to be where it all started for in recent times...........

the trouble is that
"hacking" is fine if it uncovers gross abuses (as it has done in the past ) but not in other cases
the problem really seems to be to do with police complicity and slackness (and I have this incredible feeling of Deja Vu !)

[scottycelt]

Is it just me or do other people find it more than a little unsettling that the families of crime victims are somehow given the platform to dictate policy ?

The Dowlers' have no power to 'dictate' anything ...

What they have managed to do (along with others) is to help waken the public up to what has been happening, ie possible Politician/Press/Police co-corruption and illegality which is a very serious matter affecting us all. The establishment has been forced to act and investigate because of widespread public concern and disquiet.

I'd have thought that would have the full support of just about everyone especially normally strident 'liberals' on this forum ... ?

If a 'free press' means one controlled by Rupert Murdoch, then suddenly North Korea might not seem quite so out on a limb ... after all, the 'fair and balanced' Fox News TV hasn't even bothered to report on the issue in which its boss is at the very centre of events...

It is all a question of fairness and simple justice for the relative weak in society , nothing more or less.

[MrGongGong]

I wasn't suggesting that they shouldn't be allowed to alert people to things that are wrong

[scottycelt]

I wasn't suggesting that they shouldn't be allowed to alert people to things that are wrong

Well, that's all they have done and indeed can do ... it was you who suggested that they were 'dictating policy' which is utterly ridiculous.

[MrGongGong]

actually it's not that ridiculous
and don't assume that i am expressing a lack of empathy
BUT
when people have public visibility, access to decision makers like the PM etc then inevitably their influence becomes stronger
there is a danger that we will end up with the kind of hasty legislation that deals well with the most exceptional circumstances but prevents the legitimate investigation of wrongdoing

[scottycelt]

actually it's not that ridiculous
and don't assume that i am expressing a lack of empathy
BUT
when people have public visibility, access to decision makers like the PM etc then inevitably their influence becomes stronger
there is a danger that we will end up with the kind of hasty legislation that deals well with the most exceptional circumstances but prevents the legitimate investigation of wrongdoing

If the PM and chums are influenced by anything it is that they know only too well that the Dowler family's views are backed by the overwhelming majority of people ... all polls indicate that.

Of course, the politicians may still get it wrong but, in that case, the fault lies with them not with a family like the Dowlers who are perfectly entitled to lobby anybody they wish, PM included.

It's a sad day when the people most affected are denied access to the people with real power. It's surely been a breath of fresh air that the leaders of our three main parties have been forced to listen for a change!

[Stillhomewardbound]

'dicating policy' ...

That's an unkind remark, They are the victims in this after all.

Having said, they ought to have someone doing their bidding for them, rather than appearing with the Prime Minister. Their case is utterly concrete and I'd plead with them never to go before the camera again.

Remember, this is all about unreasonable media exposure and their input really is best made from the shadows, advice that could well have been made by the McCanns.

Anytime you deal with the tabloid press you have to realise that they are as a blind man who on a Friday applauded a criminal executed but by the Sunday proclaimed that same criminal to be the son of God.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Newsnight .. a US Senator creates a new identity for us. We now live in 'Europe-Country'.

I thought 'U-Rope' or 'Europeland' was bad enough.