Phone hacking inquiry: Surely Lord Leveson has to resign

The various live blogs of the mainstream media are reporting a previously unpublicised contact between Lord Leveson and the Murdoch family.

See, for example, the Telegraph's account of the matter, News of the World phone hacking scandal: live.

15.23 The Evening Standard reports that Lord Justice Leveson, the judge who will lead the inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal, has links to the Murdoch family:

Opinion Lord Justice Leveson has attended two evening events at the London home of PR boss Matthew Freud - who is married to Rupert Murdoch's daughter Elisabeth - as well as having another dinner with him. The revelations raised questions over why the judge had been chosen to carry out the landmark inquiry into the media, police and politicians.

A spokesman for the judge said he met the boss of Freud Communications "by chance" at a dinner in February last year. Mr Freud then offered to help the Sentencing Council on how to promote public confidence in the criminal justice system.

"To that end, in his capacity as Chairman of the Sentencing Council, and with the knowledge of the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Leveson attended two large evening events at Mr Freud's London home: these were on 29 July 2010 and 25 January 2011," the spokesman added. Prior to his appointment to the inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson told the Government about the links.

Downing Street said Lord Leveson had been appointed on the recommendation of the Lord Chief Justice "in line with the procedure of the Inquiries Act 2005." He was the only proposed candidate. "He has been entirely open about attending these events," a spokesman added. A spokeswoman for Freud Communications declined to comment saying they were private events.

In that context surely Lord Leveson has to resign as the judge involved in the phone hacking inquiry.

Surely?