His powerful words at her funeral fuelled a public outcry against the press. Within weeks the code of practice had been toughened and extended again, with new rules about the use of paparazzi photographers and greater protection for the under-16s. There are no consumer rights people on the PCC and that is a major failing. In recognition, Prince William and the Prince of Wales will be guests of honour at the commission's 10th anniversary party on Wednesday evening, along with celebrities and ordinary members of the public who have had complaints dealt with. Ten years on, Lord Wakeham says the commission has raised standards of reporting and protected the vulnerable, resolving complaints more quickly than the courts could, at no cost to the complainants.
Most editors agree the commission has improved things.
But Mr Soley says it is still not good enough. There are no consumer rights people on the PCC and that is a major failing. Mike Jempson, the director of the PressWise Trust, an independent body which helps people who have had problems with the press, says the system still favours the rich over the poor. But the PCC was praised on Wednesday by the Prime Minister. Apologising for not being able to attend the party, he said the commission had worked hard to strike a balance between the freedom of the press and the need to treat fairly those who found themselves in the news.