I read with interest 'The Rights Business' (see [2000] Gazette, 31 May, 28), particularly the reference to the Court of Appeal's decision on the recent BBC case.

The Broadcasting Standards Commission was the appellant.Mr Smyth states the Court of Appeal 'found nothing in the right to respect for private life in article 8 of the convention which prevented firms from relying on it'.

Not quite.

Although the court had regard to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, it did not decide that firms could rely on article 8.

The judgment is concerned not with legal rights, but broadcasting standards, and stresses that there could be other contexts in which privacy should be limited to human beings.Paul Ferguson, Acting Head of Complaints, Broadcasting Standards Commission