The Leveson Inquiry into press ethics has cost the public purse an eye watering £2 million, with legal staff pocketing almost a third of the total expenses. Nice work if you can get it.
The Inquiry was set up last July, with hearings starting in October. And a captivated audience has already witnessed some great moments, from Sue Aker's claims of police backhanders to puce-faced Paul Dacre's endless throat clearing. To say nothing of the appearances of sexy Hugh Grant, pantomime villain Piers Morgan, and a stumbling performance from the lady who started Popbitch.
Typically, it's the lawyers who've been the real winners, and the Inquiry has been a dream appointment for a select few. The latest report on expenses show that the main barristers involved have been paid nearly £540,000 between them. The three biggest billers are Robert Jay QC, David Barr and Carine Patry Hoskins - all of whom can be seen strutting their stuff on the live video feed. After adding in the £90,000 paid to juniors, the total fees for barristers reaches an impressive £625,600 since last July.
So is it all worth it? Undoubtedly for the lawyers, for whom it must be an absolute blast to question Sienna Miller and Charlotte Church, discuss sweat patches with the editor of Heat and talk to Lord Justice Leveson about page 3 girls' breasts. But for the wider public, it's more uncertain. The pressure is certainly going to be on the Inquiry to produce an impressive and far reaching report if it's going to justify its costs and pacify detractors.
Tip Off ROF
The Inquiry was set up last July, with hearings starting in October. And a captivated audience has already witnessed some great moments, from Sue Aker's claims of police backhanders to puce-faced Paul Dacre's endless throat clearing. To say nothing of the appearances of sexy Hugh Grant, pantomime villain Piers Morgan, and a stumbling performance from the lady who started Popbitch.
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Old rope, only £625,000. |
Typically, it's the lawyers who've been the real winners, and the Inquiry has been a dream appointment for a select few. The latest report on expenses show that the main barristers involved have been paid nearly £540,000 between them. The three biggest billers are Robert Jay QC, David Barr and Carine Patry Hoskins - all of whom can be seen strutting their stuff on the live video feed. After adding in the £90,000 paid to juniors, the total fees for barristers reaches an impressive £625,600 since last July.
So is it all worth it? Undoubtedly for the lawyers, for whom it must be an absolute blast to question Sienna Miller and Charlotte Church, discuss sweat patches with the editor of Heat and talk to Lord Justice Leveson about page 3 girls' breasts. But for the wider public, it's more uncertain. The pressure is certainly going to be on the Inquiry to produce an impressive and far reaching report if it's going to justify its costs and pacify detractors.
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Have a think about that statement - £625,000 for less than six months work!
Honestly how detached from reality can you get.
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3 barristers share £540,000 = £180,000 each. Take off 20% (probably more) chambers fees = £144,000 times by 12/7 gives annual of £246,857. It could be less as main barristers got £540,000 of which the three biggest were mentioned so presumably the £540k covers more than those three. And the juniors got between them £90,000. So probably not excessive when compared with a newly qualified at a US firm doing the photocopying on £100k.