Why doesn the PCC impose fines? Isn the publication of adjudications a fairly weak response to what are quite often serious complaints?
As a non-statutory body the Commission does not have the power to impose fines, which would inevitably entail lawyers for complainants and legal powers for the complaints handling body. The PCC would have to be given legal powers by statute with all the drawbacks – such as costs, delay and risk – inherent in that, as well as the implications for press freedom. In any case, it is doubtful that fines would be at all effective. Evidence from overseas suggests that where fines do exist (for example in France) editors risk publishing intrusive stories – and then pay the damages – because the increase in sales more than compensates for the cost of the fine. Awards by the European Court of Human Rights for breaches of privacy limit payouts to around £10,000, which is a fairly small sum for large, successful newspapers. On the other hand, critical adjudications of the PCC must be published in full and with due prominence, meaning that editors have to publicise to their staff, rivals and reader
