1. The public interest is a culturally determined concept and it can be readily determined that regardless of the ethical construct adopted, no standard is universally applicable or acceptable to every group or everyone.
2. The true measure of whether a person or an organisation is acting in the public interest lies in the confidence of those affected, not those making the pronouncements. To argue and be able to hold out that an action or inaction is in the public interest requires consideration of a number of complex factors and imposes a burden of proof.