SWIFT JUSTICE

The Press Complaints Commission has always been mindful that justice delayed is justice denied. Indeed, the great strength of the PCC is the speed at which it operates. This is in sharp contrast to any form of legal or statutory system - which would take much longer to use and be inaccessible to the vast majority of ordinary people.

The PCC works under the terms of a tough Complainants' Charter which is designed to deliver a first class service to those with a grievance against a newspaper or magazine. It contains key commitments on speed and accessibility which have enabled us to raise standards of service year in, year out.

Fast and efficient - unlike a legal system

As noted above, speed is one of the great strengths of the system of self regulation - and derives from the seriousness with which newspapers and magazines treat the work of the Commission. And speed is essential in delivering justice: if something has gone wrong, complainants rightly want it sorted out quickly and efficiently.

In that goal the PCC has been able to deliver increasing success. In 1999, 75% of complaints were completed within thirty-five working days. This was a substantial improvement even on the record of 1998 - and undoubtedly makes the PCC the quickest regulatory system in the country.

Free - unlike a legal system

Another strength of self regulation is that it costs nothing to use (other than a stamp) - unlike in any legal system, where ability to complain depends on ability to pay.

The vast majority of complaints come to the PCC from ordinary members of the public - most of who complain direct without any legal assistance. Statistics show that their complaints are dealt with even more quickly than those made through a third party.

This free service is provided because of the commitment of the publishing industry to high ethical standards. Their generous funding of the PCC is one of the signs of the industry's substantial commitment to effective and independent self regulation.

Accessible - unlike a legal system

The PCC aims to ensure its service is accessible to everyone - regardless of age, race or income. That is why we operate a Helpline service, which dealt with over 2,600 calls in 1998 - as well as a Textphone service to assist deaf or hard of hearing persons in making complaints. In addition we publish our extensive literature in a number of languages other than English, and on audio cassette for those who are blind or partially sighted. A web site - www.pcc.org.uk - contains information which is available 24 hours a day. The Commission now accepts complaints by e-mail - as long as hard copy of the relevant article is sent in to support the complaint.

Altogether, the Commission's staff dealt with over 4,600 calls from members of the public in 1999 and over 700 inquiries from parts of the media.

The PCC maintains a strong presence around the country. In 1999 a separate Helpline was launched in Scotland (0131 220 6652) to assist complainants from that country. In addition, the PCC undertook tours in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - as well as a number of the regions of England - to explain the work of the PCC to as wide an audience as possible.

The Commission's work to publicise its activities is backed by information regularly published in newspapers and magazines in space generously donated by publishers themselves.