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Public figures have a right to a private life

The British press, it seems, are intent on exploring the boundaries between legitimate probing and aggressive intrusion into the private lives of public figures, and stretching the elastic term 'public interest' as far as it can go.

The intrigues and misdemeanours of celebrities and other public figures are rarely out of the headlines. Juicy details about the private lives of public figures sell papers. But since the death of Princess Diana in 1997, when paparazzi were accused of chasing the Princess to her death, the media have been widely criticised for unwarranted intrusion into the private lives of famous individuals.