LONDON, England – A senior British judge said the country needs a new, independent media regulator to eliminate a subculture of unethical behaviour that infected segments of the country’s press.


Lord Justice Brian Leveson says a new regulatory body should be established in law to prevent more people being hurt by “press behaviour that, at times, can only be described as outrageous.”

Leveson reported Thursday at the end of a yearlong ethics inquiry triggered by revelations of tabloid phone hacking.

His proposals will likely be welcomed by victims of press intrusion and some politicians who want to see the country’s voracious press reined in.

But some editors and lawmakers fear any new regulator could curtail freedom of the press.