KEEP SALM & CENSOR ON ? First Minister’s report on Leveson will censor anyone with an opinion - facebook, twitter & blogs also targeted in ex-judge’s bill

First Minister Alex Salmond wants regulator with power to censor anyone with adverse opinion. THE PROSPECT of Soviet style total media censorship coming to Scotland has taken a significant leap forward with the conclusions of Lord McCluskey’s Expert Group on the Leveson Report in Scotland, prepared for First Minister Alex Salmond who wants to appoint a regulator with powers to sanction anyone who produces news or comment in print form or on the internet.

The now widely criticised report, prepared by the former Solicitor General in consultation with a number of others including lawyers such as Peter Watson of Levy Mcrae (who count among their clients former Lord Advocate now Dame Elish Angiolini DBE QC, née McPhilomy and former Glasgow City Council Boss & Cocaine addict Steven Purcell)  and who also recently represented Mr Salmond personally in a failed complaint against the Daily Mail newspaper, aims to silence anyone in Scotland with an opinion that does not match those who want to keep criticism & scandal out of the limelight.

The Daily Record reports : Leveson: Press freedom under threat as Alex Salmond's draconian Bill threatens to censor anyone with an opinion

16 Mar 2013

SCOTLAND'S First Minister wants to appoint a regulator with powers to sanction anyone who produces news, comment or celebrity gossip – in print or digital.

ALEX SALMOND yesterday stood accused of plotting a draconian law that will have a chilling impact on freedom of speech and cost thousands of jobs.

The First Minister wants to appoint a regulator with powers to sanction ANYONE who produces news, comment or celebrity gossip – in print or digital.

Salmond hired an expert group headed by Lord John McCluskey to work out how Lord Leveson’s plan to regulate the press could be adopted in Scotland. But their report – branded Loch Leveson – said the powers of the regulator in Scotland should be beefed up to cover the web and ­publications other than newspapers.

They also recommended legislation to cover Twitter and Facebook.

Unlike the English system, Loch Leveson will regulate opinion pieces and even what they call scandalous gossip about celebrity.

In theory, bloggers such as ­schoolgirl Martha Payne, who complained about her school dinners, could be hauled before the regulator and fined.Even a local church magazine could fall foul of what Tory leader Ruth Davidson described as “the most draconian press controls in the western world”. The Bill would make it compulsory for every newspaper to fund the new system. Experts say it would cost £1.5million a year – mainly in fees to lawyers. It could signal the death of scores of local newspapers and cost thousands of jobs.

Sink this attack on democracy 

The Leveson inquiry into press ethics was held in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World. But the Scottish move goes even further than the controversial ­recommendations made last year by Lord Justice Leveson. Scotland would face tighter control of its print media than the rest of the UK, where Leveson recommended a voluntary system of self-regulation.

All written news material in ­Scotland – from the biggest national newspapers and magazines to the smallest church newsletter – would be affected. In a further departure from the Leveson recommendations, the rules would apply to all internet news media.

The report even suggests they could be extended to social networking websites like Twitter. That means anyone commenting on Facebook or posting on a website about celebrities or current affairs could fall foul of the regulator.

McCluskey’s committee said a two-tier system should be created by law. The first level would be a UK regulator set up by the press. The second tier would be a Scottish “recognition body” to ensure the regulator complied with the ­principles laid down by Leveson.

Crucially, the report suggests Government ministers would have the power to appoint the head of the recognition body – opening the door to ­state interference with the press for the first time in centuries.

Salmond was last night accused of attempting to shackle the press. Critics fear they could be used to muzzle newspapers in the run up to next year’s referendum.

Former journalist Davidson said: “With the First Minister now saying he will consider the expert group’s findings, there’s a real danger the threat of legislation will be kept hanging over the heads of editors as the ­referendum approaches.

“Even more astonishing is the proposal for the regulator to be responsible for news comment on the internet and for the newspaper industry to provide all the funds.

“It cannot be right that an industry already in crisis should be expected to pay for the regulation of the very thing that’s killing it off.

“We are, however, pleased that the expert group has recognised there’s no specific need for a Scotland-only regulator and a single regulator can operate across the whole UK as at present.”

McCluskey’s panel included David Sinclair, director of communications at Victim Support Scotland, legal academics Neil Walker and Peter Watson and journalist Ruth Wishart.

Their report was hurriedly published yesterday after the collapse of talks at Westminster to find a common way forward for the UK.

McCluskey said a UK-wide ­regulator could still be set up if a deal can be reached between David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

But while Leveson recommended a “carrot-and-sticks” approach to get newspapers to sign up to a voluntary regulator, McCluskey’s panel said they had “little confidence” this would encourage publishers to sign up.

They said: “We have reached the view that there is no practical ­alternative to making it compulsory for all news-related publishers to be subject to the new system of ­regulation,”

Salmond praised the “extremely thorough” report, saying: “It is for the parliaments in London and in ­Scotland to establish a recognition process.

“It is for the press to bring forward a voluntary regulatory body compliant with Leveson principles. I hope this is still possible.”

But Scots Labour leader Johann Lamont said: “We agreed with the First Minister that this group should look solely at the technicalities of implementing Leveson in Scots law.

“We did not agree to the Leveson recommendations being rewritten or built upon.”

The McCluskey report was commissioned by Alex Salmond to look at how the recommendations of the Leveson report could be implemented in Scotland. The findings go further than those of Lord Justice Leveson last year.

McCluskey report at a glance

All newspapers and magazine publishers would be forced to sign up to the regulator. Under the Leveson proposals, this would have been voluntary but came with incentives such as lower damages in the event of libel action.

A recognition body would be set up – appointed by ministers – to ensure the regulator was sticking to the rules. They would have the power to overrule the regulator.

The regulator could have the power to censure newspapers, magazines and websites, including gossip sites. Leveson made no recommendations on policing the internet or ruling on celebrity gossip.

McCluskey’s group said further regulation of  social media may also be required, opening the door to Facebook posts and Twitter being scrutinised.

Major publishers would have to meet the cost for setting up and running the regulator but websites – many of which generate millions of pounds for their owners – are likely to be exempt from paying.

Analysis - by media lawyer Campbell Deane

WHEN Alex Salmond announced an expert group to advise on the most appropriate means of regulating the newspaper industry, the writing was on the wall.

He wasn’t asking the group whether there was a need to implement Leveson’s proposals in Scotland. He was asking them how to achieve it.

That decision was astonishingly short-sighted. We have not had a Millie Dowler or Madeleine McCann in Scotland. We have not even come close.

We have had no phone- hacking scandal. Journalists as a rule in Scotland have behaved. These were London-centric issues for which the Scottish newspaper industry was being punished without guilt.

And yet Salmond’s panel of experts recommend the Scottish Parliament creates a regulator to prevent serious abuses of the kind which don’t occur in Scotland. Not content with implementing Leveson’s recommendations, the panel have chosen to go further by bringing under regulation all publishers of news-related material.

This country prides itself on free speech yet the panel recommended implementing proposals that could mean gossiping about the rich and famous online with your friends would get you into trouble.

By its nature, comment allows people to express their views. That should not be restricted.

At a time when newspapers are struggling for their very existence, they will be asked to fund complaints based on comment and gossip which have nothing to do with them.

They will put a financial burden on the Scottish industry that may push some newspapers over the edge.

How the loss of indigenous Scottish titles will benefit Scotland is beyond me.

Scottish Government ‘to consider’ draconian censorship of all media as proposed in Lord McCluskey’s report on Leveson press regulation

THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT have today published the report by their own expert group headed by 86 year old Lord McCluskey on the recommendations made by Lord justice Leveson into press practices and how these could be applied in Scotland. However, the terms of the former Solicitor General’s report go much wider than the original Leveson recommendations, with Lord McCluskey also advocating regulation of twitter, facebook and all forms of media carring ‘news’.

Lord McCluskey’s report can be viewed online here : Expert Group on the Leveson Report in Scotland

The Scottish Government’s Press Release : Scottish Government to consider McCluskey report

First Minister Alex Salmond today thanked the expert group led by former Solicitor General Lord McCluskey considering how the recommendations made by Lord Justice Leveson into press practices could be applied in Scotland as it published its report.

The expert group, which was appointed by the First Minister in December, has made a series of recommendations on how a system of self-regulation of the press could be established and recognised in Scotland in a report distributed to all parties this morning.

Mr Salmond said the thorough report from Lord McCluskey and his colleagues was “an important contribution” to the process of implementing Leveson in Scotland, as he indicated the Scottish Government would now consider the report’s findings carefully while continuing the cross-party efforts to reach a suitable way forward in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to cross-party talks on implementing the Leveson recommendations and will continue to work toward a consensus on the way forward in Scotland.  The First Minister confirmed today that ministers would report to Parliament after the Easter recess on the progress of these talks.

The First Minister said: “Lord McCluskey and his group have reported at an opportune time.While there is a huge amount of uncertainty and division surrounding how Westminster is going to take forward the Leveson recommendations, I am hopeful that in Scotland all parties in the Parliament can continue to work together to find an acceptable way forward.Lord McCluskey’s group has delivered an extremely thorough piece of work looking at how the proposals made by Lord Justice Leveson could be applied in the context of Scots law, including draft legislation. We will now take the time to consider all of their suggestions in full and discuss the proposals with the other political parties and other stakeholders.”

Mr Salmond continued : "The report is admirably clear. It is for the Parliaments in London and in Scotland to establish a recognition process. It is for the press to bring forward a voluntary regulatory body compliant with Leveson principles. I hope that this is still possible.The Scottish Government indicated at the time of Leveson’s report that we wanted to implement his key proposals of a voluntary self-regulatory system set up by the press with statutory underpinning.

“Since Leveson reported, all parties in the Parliament have taken part in a cross-party effort that has seen the leaders hold talks with Hacked Off, the Media Standards Trust and representatives of the press with a commitment to meet with the UK Government after their position becomes clearer.These efforts will continue and the Scottish Government will report back to Parliament after Easter on the progress of these talks. I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to Lord McCluskey, David Sinclair, Professor Neil Walker, Peter Watson and Ruth Wishart for their efforts in producing this diligent report.”

Declarations of Freemasonry membership a must if Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking is to have any credibility says Scots justice campaigner

A letter from a Fife based justice campaigner published in the Scotsman newspaper and since made available to Scottish Law Reporter in its original format says there must be declarations of Masonic membership in the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking at the News of the World and other media outlets.

Since the letter was published yesterday, details have today emerged of Lord Justice Lord Leveson, the judge appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron to investigate the hacking scandal, had attended parties at the home of Elizabeth Murdoch, the daughter of media mogul Rupert Murdoch whose newspapers are caught up in the hacking scandal. More on this can be read in today’s Independent, here : Miliband mulls MPs' demands to remove hacking-inquiry judge

Masonic link : published in the Scotsman newspaper   23 July 2011

Your Leader (21 July) on the terms of reference of the phone-hacking inquiry makes a good case for keeping a narrow focus.

But in order to do the inquiry justice heed must also be taken of the concerns of journalist Nick Davies of the Guardian, who in June revealed that one of the rogue investigators used by several newspapers, Jonathan Rees, had used his membership of the Freemasons to gain information from corrupt policemen, customs officers, tax officials and bank employees.

This claim was repeated in the House of Commons by Tom Watson MP and led to Simon Hughes MP demanding that any inquiry into phone hacking should be headed by a non-Masonic judge; if one could be found.

In April 1985, following another Masonic scandal, the then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Kenneth Newman, told his officers not to join the Masons and cautioned those who were members to quit. Newman said this was necessary if his men were to enjoy the confidence of the public.

Cocking a snook at Newman in 1986 the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London consecrated a new lodge for the exclusive use of Met officers. The lodge number 9,179 is known as the Manor of St James and is one of 1,600 Masonic lodges in London.

In my experience, freemasonry, the very antithesis of meritocracy, may go some way towards explaining the corruption and incompetence of the Met officers, as well as the cosy relationship between the Met, government and News International.

Masonic membership declarations of those taking part in the Leveson Inquiry are essential if the probe is to have the confidence of the public.

Tom Minogue, Dunfermline, Fife