Sir David Calcutt QC finally presented his long awaited report to ministers on Friday, investigating press self-regulation and outlining codes of practice for newspapers to follow.
The report was met with much opposition from editors who claim that its stringent recommendations, which include fines on papers breaking the code of conduct, will lead to blatant censorship. Sir David has called for the abolition of the Press Complaints Commission, set up 18 months ago, replacing it with a Press Complaints Tribunal. Powers to fine and to impose restrictions would be given to the tribunal, according to the report. Obviously referring to last year’s press intrusion on the Royal Family, Sir David reasoned that all electronic eavesdropping, long range photography on private property and physical trespassing of photographers and journalists should be treated as suable offences.
Lord McGregor, chairman of the Press Complaints Commission, is outraged by the outcome of the report, claiming that the setting up of a statutory body would be “a disaster for our democracy”. “At the end of the day it would be an agency for the Government” he says. Prime Minister, John Major is believed to be in favour of Sir David’s recommendations but an official response from the Government is not expected for several weeks. The report itself will be published at the end of this month, and that will be followed by a ministerial debate on the topic.
