Anyone who remembers the serial failures of the pathetic Press Complaints Commission and the appalling stories that came out during the Leveson inquiry must know that effective self-regulation of the press is a pipe dream (Press laws punish the many for the mistakes of the few, 11 January). Publications that don’t give a toss about truth, accuracy or ruining innocent people’s lives won’t behave better unless they are regulated by a code that is legally enforceable. If you don’t like section 40 and you don’t want the current model of a state-sponsored regulator, then try campaigning for a better statutory regulator. But please don’t pretend that there is any future in just exhorting the press to be good boys and girls, which is all that self-regulation amounts to.
Roger A Fisken
Bedale, North Yorkshire
• Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 threatens news media with savage penalties for undertaking investigative reporting that exposes serious wrongdoing. By contrast, the MPs who passed it will remain free to make totally unfounded allegations against any person or organisation under the protection of parliamentary privilege with no fear of any sanction.
Richard Heller
London
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