The Rt Hon Sir Brian Leveson was born and brought up in Liverpool, and was called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1970. He practised from chambers in Liverpool, across the full range of the common law including crime, personal injury and commercial work.
He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1986, becoming a Recorder of the Crown Court in 1988, and has since served as a member of the Parole Board, a Judge of the High Court, a Lord Justice of Appeal and Chairman of the Sentencing Council. Between 2008 and 2011, he was also chairman of the Criminal Justice Council.
In July 2011, he was appointed to chair the Inquiry – which ultimately bore his name – into the actions of the Press and his report was published in November 2012. He was sworn in as President of the Queen’s Bench Division in October 2013 and, more recently, has conducted a Review of Efficiency in Criminal Proceedings, publishing this report in January 2015.