Leveson was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in 1970. He initially practised in Liverpool and became Queen's Counsel in 1986.[7][8] Leveson became a bencher in 1995,[7] acted as a Recorder 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 the Northern 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 a Lord Justice of Appeal.[9] He was promoted to Senior Presiding Judge with effect from 1 January 2007. He was Treasurer of Middle Temple for the year 2020.[10]
Notable cases
In 1989 Leveson was the lead prosecution counsel at the trial of comedian Ken Dodd. Dodd was charged with tax evasion, but was acquitted at Liverpool Crown Court, despite seemingly strong evidence.
Leveson was the lead prosecution counsel during the trial of Rosemary West, who went on to be convicted for the murders of ten young women, including her own eldest daughter, in November 1995.[11][12] While sitting with Lord Justice Mantell[13] in the Court of Appeal in 2002 under the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, he upheld the murder conviction of James Hanratty.[14] He also presided over the trial of ex-US Marine Toby Studebaker for charges relating to child grooming over the internet.[15] 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.[16] He also presided over the trial of two men who were found guilty in 2005 of murdering 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.[17]
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 the 2019 London Bridge stabbing.[22]
Press ethics inquiry and News International phone hacking scandal
It was announced on 13 July 2011 that Leveson would lead the public inquiry into issues of British press culture, practices and ethics raised by the News 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.[23][24]
The hearings began on Monday 14 November 2011.[25] The full report was published on 29 November 2012[26] and is available online.[27]
Leveson and his wife Lynne (daughter of Aubrey Fishel, also from Liverpool) are Jewish.[11][31] The couple have three children.[32]
References
^Leveson, Brian. "Opening remarks". Leveson Inquiry: About the Inquiry. Leveson Inquiry. Archived from the original on 1 December 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
^"Background". Leveson Inquiry front page. The Leveson Inquiry. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)