Sir Brian Leveson | |
|---|---|
 Leveson in 2019 | |
| Investigatory Powers Commissioner | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 21 October 2019 | |
| Appointed by | Boris Johnson Liz Truss asPrime Minister |
| Preceded by | Sir Adrian Fulford |
| Head of Criminal Justice | |
| In office 18 October 2017 – 23 June 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Ian Burnett (As Lord Chief Justice) |
| Succeeded by | Dame Victoria Sharp |
| President of the Queen's Bench Division | |
| In office 1 October 2013 – 23 June 2019 | |
| Deputy | Dame Heather Hallett |
| Preceded by | Sir John Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Dame Victoria Sharp |
| Lord Justice of Appeal | |
| In office 2 October 2006 – 1 October 2013 | |
| Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales | |
| In office 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2009 | |
| Deputy | Lord Justice Goldring |
| Preceded by | Lord Justice Thomas |
| Succeeded by | Lord Justice Goldring |
| 5th Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University | |
| In office 20 May 2013 – 1 January 2022 | |
| Vice-Chancellor | Nigel Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Brian May,CBE |
| Succeeded by | Nisha Katona,MBE |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Brian Henry Leveson (1949-06-22)22 June 1949 (age 75) Liverpool, England |
| Spouse | Lynnenée Fishel |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | London |
| Education | Liverpool College |
| Alma mater | Merton College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Judge |
| Profession | Barrister |
Sir Brian Henry Leveson[1] (/ˈlɛvɪsən/LEV-iss-ən; born 22 June 1949) is a retired English judge who is the currentInvestigatory Powers Commissioner, having previously served as thePresident of the Queen's Bench Division and Head of Criminal Justice.
Leveson chaired thepublic inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the Britishpress, prompted by theNews of the Worldphone hacking affair.[2][3]
Leveson was born inLiverpool, on 22 June 1949.[4] He was educated atLiverpool College, a thenpublic school inMossley Hill, Liverpool. He studied atMerton College, Oxford[5] and was President of theOxford Law Society.[6]
Leveson wascalled to the Bar atMiddle Temple in 1970. He initially practised in Liverpool and becameQueen's Counsel in 1986.[7][8] Leveson became abencher in 1995,[7] acted as aRecorder between 1988 and 2000, and as a Deputy High Court Judge between 1998 and 2000.[7] In 2000, Leveson was appointed as a Judge of the High Court, Queen's Bench Division, and served as a Presiding Judge of theNorthern Circuit between 2002 and 2005.[7]
In 2006, Leveson was appointed to the new position of Deputy Senior Presiding Judge[7] and, on 2 October 2006, he was appointed aLord Justice of Appeal.[9] He was promoted toSenior Presiding Judge with effect from 1 January 2007.
On 1 October 2013, Leveson was appointedPresident of the Queen's Bench Division, succeedingSir John Thomas.[10]
He was Treasurer of Middle Temple for the year 2020.[11]
Leveson was the lead prosecution counsel during the trial ofRosemary West (Regina vs West),[12] who went on to be convicted for the murders of ten young women, including her own eldest daughter, in November 1995. West was sentenced to Life in Prison with a whole life order imposed.[13][14]
In November 2007, the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, constituted by theLord Chief Justice of England and Wales,Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Leveson andMr Justice Simon, quashed the conviction ofBarry George and ordered a retrial in relation to the murder in 2001 of BBC presenterJill Dando.[15]
He was one of three judges who heard an appeal in 2013 by several men who had admitted terrorist offences. One of them,Usman Khan, whose sentence was as a result changed from an "indeterminate sentence" to a "determinate term" of 16 years imprisonment, later committed the2019 London Bridge stabbing.[16]
While sitting withLord Justice Mantell[17] In the Court of Appeal in 2002 under theLord Chief Justice,Lord Woolf, he upheld the murder conviction ofJames Hanratty.[18] He also presided over the trial of ex-US MarineToby Studebaker for charges relating tochild grooming over the internet.[19] He sentenced 100-year-old Bernard Heginbotham, who was found guilty of manslaughter of his wife of 67 years, 87-year-old Ida, to a 12-month rehabilitation order.[20] He also presided over the trial of two men who were found guilty in 2005 ofmurdering Anthony Walker with an axe.[3] He was one of the judges in the appeal of Ruth Ellis in 2003 who said that the appeal was without merit.[21]
It was announced on 13 July 2011 that Leveson would lead thepublic inquiry into issues of British press culture, practices and ethics raised by theNews International phone hacking scandal.[2] On 20 July, Prime Minister David Cameron announced that the scope of the inquiry had widened to include the BBC and social media.[22][23]
The hearings began on Monday 14 November 2011.[24] The full report was published on 29 November 2012[25] and is available online.[26]
In 2013 Leveson was appointed asChancellor of Liverpool John Moores University,[27] taking over fromBrian May, who stepped down at the end of his term.[28]
In 2019, Leveson was appointed as theInvestigatory Powers Commissioner, and re-appointed for a further three-year term in October 2022.[29]
Leveson and his wife Lynne (daughter of Aubrey Fishel, also from Liverpool) areJewish.[13][30] The couple have three children.[31]
In 1986, Levesontook silk and was appointedQueens Counsel granting him the Suffix of 'QC', upon appointment as a Judge the suffix was no longer used.
Leveson was appointed aKnight Bachelor in 2001, byQueen Elizabeth II granting him the title of 'Sir'.[32] In 2006 Leveson was sworn as aPrivy Counsellor which grants him the Style 'The Right Honourable' for life.[33]
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