A Cabinet minister has taken a swipe at Lord Justice Leveson by suggesting he needs "lessons in freedom of speech".
Education Secretary Michael Gove delivered the jibe as part of a string of jokes at an awards ceremony, and it came as the judge puts the finishing touches to his long-awaited report on media standards and regulation.
Senior politicians are coming under pressure to accept his recommendations, but newspaper groups have been warning against signing off on any measures that restrict crucial press freedoms.
Speaking at the Spectator magazine's parliamentary awards, Mr Gove referred to his own evidence before the inquiry, in which he mounted a strong defence of press freedom.
He compared Lord Justice Leveson with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism - which was behind the notorious Newsnight investigation that led to Lord McAlpine being smeared.
Mr Gove - a former journalist - said: "It's also a pity that His Honour Brian Leveson cannot be here so he could receive the Bureau of Investigative Journalism award for commitment to truth-telling for his wonderful comments - 'I don't really need any lessons in freedom of speech, Mr Gove, really I don't'."
At the same event, London Mayor Boris Johnson was reported to have warned MPs: "Don't you think for one minute of regulating the press."
Meanwhile, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have told victims of press abuses they will "look favourably" on Lord Justice Leveson's proposals.
The party leaders held meetings with a 25-strong group linked to the Hacked Off campaign, as the judge prepares to deliver his long-awaited report on media standards and regulation.
They included Kate McCann, Chris Jefferies - who was caught up in coverage of the murder investigation of landscape architect Joanna Yeates - ex-Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames and Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall.
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Speaking after the sessions, Mr Jefferies said they had been "encouraging" and the leaders had made clear the "status quo cannot be allowed to continue".
"There will be change. They are all committed to change," he said.
Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg had indicated they would look "extremely favourably" on any proportionate recommendations from Lord Justice Leveson, he added.
Hacked Off chairman Brian Cathcart said the leaders were committed to "swift action" in this parliament.
"We urged them to meet as soon as (Lord Justice) Leveson has reported, all three leaders to work on that together," he added.
