Solicitors working in London ought to prepare for a hectic start to 2011. The cause of the anticipated swathe of latest cases is essentially due to the case against News International which is the owner of the News of the World (a British paper). The particular suggestions and convictions with regards to telephone hacking may end up being a very pricey error of judgement by the UK tabloid.

Andy Coulson, who was the editor of the News of the World and is now the British Prime Minister’s communications director, which is a top paid civil servant job, has been under significant pressure since the list of legal claims continues to grow.

Some may claim that the trouble actually started in September 2010 when The Times (another UK newspaper) reported that as reported by News of the World reporters, Andy Coulson urged reporters to unlawfully gain access to voicemail messages and that he was present throughout numerous talks on the matter.

Regardless of this, the Crown Prosecution service ruled in December 2010 that there was insufficient evidence to charge Andy Coulson in connection with allegations that he was aware about the phone-hacking at the paper. Supposedly, people who made the claims were not ready to provide admissible proof.

In 2006, private investigator Glenn Mulcaire’s house was searched by police as a part of the newspaper telephone hacking investigation. Up until now evidence gathered from the raid was not disclosed, but now London solicitors have been able to pressure the Metropolitan Police to at last disclose the findings.

This could lead to millions of pounds getting compensated by The News of the World, provided evidence demonstrates the newspaper’s telephone hacking was on a widespread scale as opposed to just one person.

A further and much more serious impact of these cases may be the effect it could have on the Prime Minister’s director of communications, who would be the person responsible for such procedures. It’s possible that under this sort of pressure his position would be untenable.

Regardless, it will be intriguing to see how lawyers in the UK, like IBB Solicitors, respond to the news, possible effects and any consequences going into 2011.