Chris

This, along with some of the shameless insinuations directed at the McCann family when Madeline went missing, serves to further underline the point that freedom of speech is subservient to an individual's right not to have their good name dragged through the mud.

This particular case highlights the media's recent trend towards pushing the boundaries of acceptable commentary and reporting while an unsolved case is under investigation. Had this individual eventually been sent to trial, he might have argued his right to a fair trial had been compromised by some of what was said about him.

Justice is more important than selling papers, and I am reluctantly coming round to the view that media regulation backed up by criminal law is the only way we can now ensure this.