Murdered schoolgirl’s parents join JK Rowling at heart of hacking inquiry

The parents of a Scottish teenager stabbed to death in her school playground two decades ago are among core participants named in the first stage of the inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal.

Margaret and James Watson have been named alongside Madeleine and Gerry McCann, actor Hugh Grant and Harry Potter creator JK Rowling on the list of “victims” who will be represented by a barrister and have the right to seek to cross-examine witnesses and make opening and closing statements.

The Watsons’ daughter Diane was 16 when she was killed at Whitehill Secondary School in Dennistoun, Glasgow, in April 1991.The couple have since campaigned on behalf of victims of crime.

Last night, the family’s solicitor, Dominic Crossley, said their names were being added to the inquiry because they had issues with the way the media treated the families of crime victims, not because they were victims of phone hacking.

Earlier this year, the couple petitioned the Scottish Parliament to call for a change in the law of defamation, saying it did not protect murder victims from being defamed by their killers.

The group represented in Lord Justice Leveson’s inquiry into media conduct also includes former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley; Chris Jefferies, the ex-landlord of alleged murder victim Jo Yeates; ex-England footballer Paul Gascoigne; and Bob and Sally Dowler, the parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly.

Lord Justice Leveson granted core participant status to 46 people for the first part of the inquiry, which will look at the culture, ethics and practices of the press and its relationship with the police and politicians.

The second part will examine the extent of unlawful or improper conduct within News International and other media organisations – and consider the police investigation of claims against News International and whether police received corrupt payments.

Others in the group of victims, who are likely to be represented by the barrister David Sherborne, include serving MPs Chris Bryant, Tessa Jowell, Simon Hughes and Denis MacShane, and former MPs Lord Prescott and Mark Oaten, who resigned as the Lib Dem home affairs spokesman in 2006 over an affair with a rent boy.

Showbusiness will be represented by actor Hugh Grant, actress Sienna Miller, PR guru Max Clifford and model Abi Titmuss. Football agent Sky Andrew, Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati and Christopher Shipman, son of mass murderer Harold Shipman are also on the list.

Lesser-known figures include intellectual property expert Mary-Ellen Field and Ian Hurst, a former British Army intelligence officer.

Also given core participation status were the Metropolitan Police and the owners of various newspapers, including the Sun, Times, Guardian, Daily Mail and now-closed News of the World. The judge said he might also allow non-core participants to make written closing submissions.

One omission was Rebekah Brooks, the former editor of the Sun and the News of the World and ex-chief executive of News International. She was turned down by Lord Justice Leveson, who said her involvement was more focused on the second part of the inquiry.

The judge said: “Mrs Brooks has very considerable knowledge and experience but I do not consider that it is necessary or appropriate to designate her as a core participant.”

Lord Justice Leveson led the prosecution of serial killer Rose West. His inquiry, which was ordered by David Cameron and has the power to summon witnesses, is expected to last several months and aims to produce a report within a year.