Lord Justice Leveson warned budding journalists about the importance of behaving with “absolute propriety” as he received a university fellowship.

The Liverpool-born judge, who is leading the high-profile inquiry into press standards, was awarded an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores University on Wednesday for his “outstanding contribution to the legal profession”.

He spoke to graduating journalism and media students at a ceremony in the city’s Anglican Cathedral, telling them journalists fulfilled a vital role in keeping the public informed.

Lord Justice Leveson said: “It is vital that this function is performed with absolute propriety, respecting the law and the ethical boundaries in the way of how the press and the media should operate.”