Shadow Solicitor General and Newcastle North MP, Catherine McKinnell, challenged the Attorney General in the Commons today about the handling of the investigation into alleged phone hacking at the News of the World.

Speaking during oral questions to the Attorney General, Catherine asked Dominic Grieve whether he was satisfied with the way in which the case had been handled. She also asked what exactly had prompted the Director of Public Prosecutions’ recent announcement of a ‘comprehensive assessment’ by the CPS of all material held by the Metropolitan police on the case.

Catherine said:

“As I said in the Commons today, there are very serious concerns about this case and I wanted the Attorney General to clarify whether he is satisfied with the way in which it has been handled to date. Unfortunately, he failed to answer this question.

“Whilst I welcome the CPS’ ‘comprehensive assessment’ of all material held by the Metropolitan police as part of this investigation, I also asked the Attorney General to confirm exactly what had prompted this apparent change in direction only weeks after the CPS announced that there was no admissible evidence against which to bring further criminal charges.

“It remains unclear from the Attorney General’s answer whether new evidence in this case has genuinely come to light, or whether the increasing number of high-profile alleged victims of phone hacking that are taking civil action against the News of the World’s parent company has prompted the move.

“My view is any assessment of the case should go beyond a simple review of the evidence to also incorporate a wider, independent, review of all actions which should or could have been taken as part of this investigation.”

ENDS

Notes:

1. The Director of Public Prosecutions announced on 14th January 2011 that the CPS would conduct a ‘comprehensive assessment’ of all material held by the Metropolitan Police relating to the News of the World phone hacking investigation, involving an examination of all material considered as part of the original Goodman/Mulcaire investigation and ‘any material that has subsequently come to light’ – to ascertain whether ‘there is any material which could now form evidence in any future criminal prosecution relating to phone hacking.’ (www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_releases/102_11/)

2. The CPS had previously announced on 12th December 2010 that it had advised the Met that there was no admissible evidence upon which further criminal charges could be brought for telephone hacking as part of the investigation (www.cps.gov.uk/news/press_statements/phone_hacking_allegations_-_statement_from_director_of_public_prosecutions/).