It's been a scandalous year for the British press.
In late November, victims of the phone-hacking scandal that forced the closure of Rupert Murdoch's News of World welcomed recommendations of a judicial inquiry that called for a tougher independent watchdog to oversee press standards.
The so-called Leveson inquiry into press standards ran for eight months and was headed by the eminent Lord Justice Brian Leveson.
It saw a parade of celebrities, politicians and victims of crime give evidence on their mistreatment by the press.
As SBS journalist Kate Stowell reports, the year ended with a 2,000 page report calling for an overhaul of British press regulation and accountability.
The British Prime Minister David Cameron commissioned the Leveson Inquiry in July last year in the wake of a report alleging that the News of the World newspaper hacked the voicemails of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler.
It set forth a flood of revelations that dozens of public figures had had their phones hacked by journalists.
Over eight months of hearings, the Leveson Inquiry heard from victims of press intrusion including victims of crime, celebrities, politicians and police.
One of the more outspoken celebrities was the British actor Hugh Grant.
He told the inquiry about instances of his phone being hacked and his apartment broken into.
"I just think there has been a section of our press that has been allowed to become toxic over the last 20 or 30 years. Its main tactic being bullying, intimidation and blackmail." Grant said.
"I think that needs a lot of courage to stand up to. This county has had historically a good record of standing up to bullies, and I think it is time to stand up to this bully now."
The best-selling author of the Harry Potter books, JK Rowling told the Leveson Inquiry how journalists had harassed her children, by placing notes to her in her daughter's school bag.
"Such a sense of invasion that my daughter's bag... it's very difficult to explain how angry how felt that my five year old daughter's school was no longer a place of complete security from journalists".
Evidence from Britain's political leaders and newspaper editors highlighted the closeness of the relationship between politicians and the press.
In giving evidence, Prime Minister David Cameron gave insights into the nature of his friendship with former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks.
And similarly, Ms Brooks detailed text messages she'd exchanged with the Prime Minister.
"He would sign them off 'DC' in the main, occasionally he would sign them off, 'LOL - Lots of Love', until I told him that stood for 'Laugh Out Loud', then he didn't sign them like that anymore".
In delivering his findings in November this year, Lord Justice Leveson held that UK political parties - both Labour and Conservative - had developed too close a relationship with the press in a way which had not been in the public interest.
Central to his two thousand page report were recommendations for wholesale change of how Britain's journalists are held accountable.
Currently, the British press regulates itself through the Press Complaints Commission, which is staffed in part by serving editors.
Launching his report, Lord Justice Leveson said that system didn't work, and needed to change.
"Unfortunately, as the evidence has shown, beyond doubt, on too many occasions, those responsibilities, along with the editors Code of Conduct, which the press wrote and promoted, have simply been ignored.
"The press needs to establish a new regulatory body which is truly independent of industry leaders, and of government and of politicians. It must promote high standards of journalism and protect both the public interest and the rights and liberties of individuals."
Lord Justice Leveson recommended a new independent body be set up that would have non-government, impartial members, except for one editor.
It would have the power to fine offenders up to $1.5 million, and to order the publication of apologies and corrections.
Crucially, the recommended independent body would need to be backed by new legislation.
That's something David Cameron says he's uneasy about.
Mr Cameron told the House of Commons that while he backed the creation of a new newspaper regulator, he feared that bringing in new laws risked curbing the freedom of the press.
"I have some serious concerns and misgivings on this recommendation. For the first time we will have crossed the Rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land. "We should, I believe, be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press."
But somewhat politically inconveniently for David Cameron, his Deputy coalition partner Nick Clegg disagrees with him.
Mr Clegg says Lord Justice Leveson has studied the issues at length and his recommendations are measured.
"I've always said I will support Lord Justice Leveson's reforms providing they are proportionate and workable. That is the case as far as the report's core proposed is concerned, namely, a tougher system of self-regulation, supported by new independent checks, recognised in law."
Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband also says he supports the proposals.
Lord Justice Leveson says he's not blind to press freedom concerns - outlining the ways a new independent body for self-regulation could actually benefit the free press cause.
"It would enshrine, for the first time, a legal duty on the government to protect the freedom of the press. Secondly, it would provide and independent process to recognise the new self-regulatory body and thereby reassure the public of its independence and efficacy. Thirdly, it would provide new and tangible benefits for the press - as members of the body, newspaper could show they act in good faith and uphold standards based on the public interest.'
James Hanning is the Deputy Editor of the Independent on Sunday.
He's told the ABC he thinks the recommendations are ingenious.
"We've had weeks and weeks of people lining up on either side of this argument saying if we have state regulation, it'll be one step away from Stalinism and it will become a Communist country. And on the other side you have other people saying you have to crack down." he said.
"So Leveson has come up with something which is something which is, strictly speaking, state regulation. People say 'you can't be a little bit pregnant', but if you want to paint it as that, it is state regulation. But it's very kind of arms-length and quite ingenious and it allows quite a lot of self-regulation to remain, so if there is a third-way, then that's what he's found."
Paul McMullan was a features writer at the News of the World. In giving evidence to the inquiry, he infamously said that "privacy is for paedophiles - no one else needs it - it brings out the worst qualities in people".
But when asked by the BBC what he thought of Lord Leveson's report, he gave this response.
"Quite well written. He should be a journalist. I think it really lays down the blueprint for the way journalists will behave in the future. I immediately looked for a reference to surveillance van because that's what I've always done.
"For the last 20 years, I just got a surveillance van, I've picked at random, someone like Hugh Grant or Steve Coogan, parked outside their house, photographed every movement, in and out, and then given chase every now and then. That's been my modus operandi for all of my career. I was quite pleased that he didn't say that surveillance vans were a bad technique to use but he didn't like the fishing expedition."
Meanwhile, victims of phone hacking and press harassment welcomed the inquiry's findings.
Kate McCann, whose daughter Madeleine went missing on holiday in Portugal in 2007, urged Prime Minister Cameron to follow Lord Leveson's advice.
Mark Lewis, lawyer for the murdered teenager Milly Dowler's family said there wasn't much point in an inquiry unless it's recommendations were implemented.
Over the past year, British police have arrested dozens of people under three linked probes into alleged crimes by newspapers.
Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Murdoch's British newspaper wing News International, and Cameron's former spokesman Andy Coulson both appeared in court on bribery charges, just hours ahead of the publication of the Leveson report.
As for Lord Justice Leveson himself, almost immediately following the release of his report, he boarded a plane for Australia.
But he told an audience at the University of Melbourne in December, he's not intending to discuss the report's findings, not now - or ever.
"I treat the report as a judgment and judges simply do not enter into discussion about judgments they have given. They don't respond to comment, however misconceived, neither do they seek to correct error. The judgment, or in this case, the report, has to speak for itself".
While what happens with criminal charges is up to the courts, Lord Justice Leveson says on the future of press ethics and regulation - the ball is now firmly in the politicians' court.
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