Rebekah Brooks to learn if she will face charges over phone-hacking scandal
Vikram Dodd and Dan Sabbagh
guardian.co.uk, Monday 14 May 2012 19.23 BST
CPS to announce decision in cases of journalist and six others concerning allegations of perverting the course of justice
Rebekah Brooks leaves the high court in London after giving evidence to the Leveson inquiry last week. Photograph: Sang Tan/AP
Rebekah Brooks, the former News International chief executive, will be told on Tuesday if she is to be among the first people to face criminal charges over the phone-hacking scandal.
The Crown Prosecution Service will announce whether Brooks will face charges over allegations of perverting the course of justice relating to the phone-hacking investigation.
The CPS will announce its decision in the cases of one journalist and six members of the public, all concerning allegations of perverting the course of justice. Among those whose cases are under consideration by prosecutors are Brooks's husband, Charlie, a race horse trainer and friend of the prime minister.
Kingsley Napley, the lawyers for Rebekah Brooks, confirmed that they expected to hear from the CPS on Tuesday. The human rights and criminal litigation specialist also acts for Brooks's husband.
The decision on whether criminal charges will be brought or not has been made by Alison Levitt QC, who is the principal legal adviser to the director of public prosecutions.
Levitt is in charge of the CPS's decision-making concerning the investigations into phone hacking and other related police inquiries.
The Metropolitan police have sent files of evidence to the CPS during the course of the investigation.
In March, detective from Operation Weeting arrested Brooks and her husband at their home in Oxfordshire on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The two were held at dawn with four others, including News International's head of security, Mark Hanna, and a driver Rebekah Brooks used. A sixth non-journalist, Cheryl Carter, Brooks's former PA, was arrested in January also on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Police said the arrests did not result from information passed to them by News Corporation's management and standards committee (MSC).
Brooks was also previously arrested on 17 July 2011 on appointment at a police station in London on suspicion of conspiring to intercept communications, contrary to Section1(1) Criminal Law Act 1977 and on suspicion of corruption allegations contrary to Section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.
The former Sun and News of the World editor was held in the summer 48 hours after she resigned as News International's chief executive.
The announcement of the CPS's decision comes days after Brooks gave five hours of evidence to the Leveson inquiry, in which Brooks discussed her friendship with Tony Blair, Gordon Brown's wife Sarah, and the prime minister, David Cameron. Cameron, she said, texted once or twice a week, signing off his messages 'LOL' until she told him it stood for 'laugh out loud'.
News International declined to comment.
The Crown Prosecution Service is the Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales.
As the principal prosecuting authority in England and Wales, we are responsible for:
advising the police on cases for possible prosecution;
reviewing cases submitted by the police;
determining any charges in all but minor cases;
preparing cases for court;
presenting cases at court.
