BBC: ‘News of the World’ to admit liability for hacking celeb voicemail

Several high-profile individuals in Britain have brought cases against UK newspaper News of the World after allegations of phone hacking, and the paper’s owner is set to admit liability in the cases, according to the BBC.

News International has offered an ‘unreserved apology’ to some claimants in the cases, and has set up a compensation fund to better handle “justifiable claims.” There are two dozen active cases related to the scandal, including “Sienna Miller, former culture secretary Tessa Jowell, football commentator Andy Gray, and the designer Kelly Hoppen.”

News International commented:

“Past behaviour at the News of the World in relation to voicemail interception is a matter of genuine regret.

“It is now apparent that our previous inquiries failed to uncover important evidence and we acknowledge our actions were not sufficiently robust.”

The BBC says the company hopes to limit liability to less than £100,000 per claimant in the cases, and hopes to pay out less than £20 million total.