View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. Media Law
November 14, 2011

Tomlinson: Statutory press regulation now inevitable

By Dominic Ponsford

One of the country’s leading media lawyers has said that the idea that a revamped Press Complaints Commission will work is “a complete non-starter”.

In the first session of the Society of Editors Conference there appeared to be broad concensus from editors such as Chris Blackhurst of The Independent, The Guardian’s Alan Rusbridger and James Harding from The Times that a beefed-up PCC supplemented by a new press ombudsman would be an appropriate response to the hacking scandal.

But according to Hugh Tomlinson QC: “PCC 2 is a complete non-starter.”

He told the conference: “If instead of the media we put in judges, barristers, the City, MPs…the idea that they should be regulating themselves without any statutory intervention would be laughed at by the press. It would be subject to searing criticism.

“Why is the press in any different position?”

And he said that it was a common misunderstanding to think that statutory regulation meant government regulation.

He said: “Judges are subject to statutory regulation not by politicians, but independent statutory regulation.”

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Thomlinson said the idea that the press could settle on a system of self regulation which comprised a strengthened PCC without new statutory backing was “fantasy”, adding: “It just won’t happen.”

Head of the Culture Media and Support select committee John Whittingdale said there was a desire in Parliament for a “much tougher regime, probably statutory – and it’s going to be tough to resist that”.

“If PCC 2 is going to be created it’s got to be seen to be independent of the press and with real powers…That’s the very least you’re going to get away with otherwise there’s going to be statutory regulation.”

Phone-hacking lawyer Charlotte Harris said: “The public want a hanging.” She said this will lead to statutory regulation because “no-one will expect anything else or trust anything else”.

Topics in this article :

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network