Press bites back at Max Mosley over 'sick orgy' report

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:

Media law firms came under fire from the head of the Press Complaints Commission yesterday, who said they regarded the watchdog as their 'sworn enemy'.

Giving evidence to the Commons culture, media and sport committee, Sir Christopher Meyer also attacked F1 chief Max Mosley for his criticisms of the PCC at an earlier hearing.

Max Mosley

'Desperate': Max Mosley accused the PCC of not being independent enough

Sir Christopher Meyer

Hitting back: Sir Christopher Meyer criticised media law firms and Max Mosley

Sir Christopher said: 'There are a number of law firms in London who specialise in media matters and who regard us as their sworn enemies, probably because we do the job as well as they do, but we do it for free and we provide a degree of discretion in a way that open exposure in court does not.' 

Mr Mosley won a privacy action against the News of the World last year over a report he took part in a 'sick orgy'.

A fortnight ago Mr Mosley told MPs on the committee that the PCC was not independent enough and its guiding principle of self-regulation was 'like putting the Mafia in charge of a police station'.

But Sir Christopher said it would take 'a desperate man to measure the quality of the PCC by something Max Mosley said'.

He added: 'I read what he had to say. Absolutely predictable stuff, probably ventriloquised by (law firm) Carter Ruck.

'All the usual tired, pitiful stuff about limp wrists.'


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