AN adviser to Lord Justice Leveson has warned that his proposals to reform the press could be illegal because they would “coerce” newspapers into holding higher standards than anyone else.
Shami Chakrabarti, the director of the civil rights group Liberty, one of six assessors who worked with the judge during the 16-month inquiry, made the claim today saying that she did not support the proposal to have statutory backing for a press council as it could breach the Human Rights Act.
Leveson called last week for the media industry to set up an independent press regulator but wants it to be backed up in law, with the right to impose fines of £1m.
But Chakrabarti has warned such a move could have “serious unintended consequences”.