The PCC remains the forum in which a large number of privacy complaints are ruled upon or resolved every year. In 2007, the PCC concluded nearly 250 privacy cases, which included over 100 settlements. This includes complaints about small local papers and large national titles and magazines - from high profile individuals and ordinary members of the public.

Much of the Commission's work involves successfully conciliating disputes between an individual and a newspaper. But although these settled complaints do not involve a formal ruling from the PCC, there can nonetheless be important lessons for editors and others to learn from them. This piece highlights two examples of recent complaints that were amicably resolved, concerning the issue of journalists approaching judges for comment following a court case; and the reporting of suicide following the high number of deaths in the Bridgend area.

Research commissioned by the PCC from Ipsos Mori shows that 85% of the online population are aware of the PCC - with nearly a quarter saying they knew the organisation either ‘very well' or ‘a fair amount'. These figures are a clear improvement on the figure just 2 years ago, when 72% of people were aware of the Commission.

The details of hundreds of resolved and adjudicated complaints handled by the PCC over a six month period have just been published. In addition to the full texts of all such complaints finalised between October 2007-March 2008, the report also includes a breakdown of the key complaints statistics from this period.