Lord Wakeham
By Professor Robert Pinker, Acting Chairman

John Wakeham was Chairman of the Commission for just over seven remarkably successful years, until he retired in the spring of 2002. I had the privilege to work under him, as the only founding member of the PCC and its Privacy Commissioner, throughout that time.

When he arrived at the Commission - as I note below - its very future was in doubt. When he left, the PCC was in a strong, robust and authoritative state - its existence beyond question, safe (at least for the time being) with that "comfortable furniture" of British life where John strove to place it.

In paying him a tribute - on behalf of the Commission and its staff - I find it hard to know where to begin. First and foremost, John was a consummate Chairman of our meetings. He presided over 63 of them - and throughout that time found consensus on every decision we reached, even in the teeth of often formidable obstacles. That in itself was an immense achievement.

Second, John renewed the authority and independence of the Commission at an extremely perilous time - back in 1994/5 - when many were clamouring for its overhaul or closure. He soon imbued it with a sense of purpose and direction, of openness and transparency, that had the critics, not the Commission, clamouring for cover. He deployed that same authority during the crucial debates on the Human Rights and Data Protection Acts of 1998 - which similarly threatened to undermine the work of the PCC for ordinary people. The Commission's very survival is a huge tribute to him.

Third, he brought his natural - and indeed renowned - flair for conciliation and compromise to the crucially important, day-to-day work of the Commission. The PCC has always been a body with dispute resolution at its heart - but John made that mission a reality. Under him, the PCC became adept at sorting out even the trickiest of disputes - always to the advantage of the complainant. And he brought about substantial improvements in our standards of service as well - making the idea of swift and open justice a reality, and not just an ideal.

And finally, it is absolutely right to record John's role throughout his time in raising standards of newspaper and magazine reporting. As Professor Richard Shannon shows in his masterly book, A Press Free and Responsible - The First Ten Years of the PCC, John was cruscially involved in the changes to the Code of Practice after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The tough new measures in the Code on privacy , on children and on grief and shock have contributed to the contributing culture change in newsrooms across the industry and up and down the land - once again, to the benefit, above all else, of ordinary people. And because of the manner in which John renewed the authority of the Commission in the industry ,editors today - indeed a whole new generation of journalists - treat the Code, and the jurisdiction of the Commission, with the utmost seriousness.

If I may borrow from Churchill, the story of John Wakeham's tenture at the PCC will "shine in whatever record of our affairs history preserves" - richly and deservedly so.

We will all miss him greatly - but hope very much that he will continue to watch our work with the interest and wisdom that are the continuing and consistent hallmarks og his long and distinguished career.