The News International phone-hacking scandal reached a significant mark in the road Tuesday: The Crown Prosecution Service announced charges against former News of the World editors and executives, including Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, relating to hacked voicemails.
Brooks, the former News of the World editor and former News International chief executive, faces charges relating to the voicemails of teenage murder victim Milly Dowler. Coulson, who edited News of the World at the time of the alleged hacking, faces charges relating to Dowler and British government officials. Six other former News of the World staffers — including private investigator Glenn Mulcaire — also face charges.
“… [I]n relation to eight of these 13 suspects there is sufficient evidence for there to be a realistic prospect of conviction in relation to one or more offenses,” CPS legal adviser Allison Levitt said in a statement. “All, with the exception of Glenn Mulcaire, will be charged with conspiring to intercept communications without lawful authority, from 3rd October 2000 to 9th August 2006. The communications in question are the voicemail messages of well-known people and/or those associated with them.”
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