Power to Direct Remedies
In relation to complaints, the Board should have the power to direct appropriate remedial action for breach of standards and the publication of corrections and apologies. Although remedies are essentially about correcting the record for individuals, the power to require a correction and an apology must apply equally in relation to individual standards breaches (which the Board has accepted) and to groups of people (or matters of fact) where there is no single identifiable individual who has been affected.
- IPSO states that it can direct corrections and apologies where complaints are upheld (IPSO, accessed March 2026).
- IPSO's annual reports indicate that a small number of complaints are upheld annually relative to the total received, and the regulator has noted concerns about the timeliness of complaint resolution (IPSO Annual Reports, accessed March 2026).
- IMPRESS can also direct corrections, apologies, and other remedial action (IMPRESS, accessed March 2026).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe Prime Minister stated on 29 November 2012 that he accepted "the principles that Lord Justice Leveson has laid out" for independent self-regulation, including "an independent board, a standards code, an arbitration service and the power to demand up-front, prominent apologies and impose million-pound fines." However, he rejected statutory underpinning, expressing "serious concerns and misgivings" about crossing "the Rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land." The Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press was granted on 30 October 2013, establishing the Press Recognition Panel as the recognition body. IPSO was established in September 2014 but has not sought Royal Charter recognition. IMPRESS was recognised by the PRP in October 2016. Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/david-cameron-statement-in-response-to-the-leveson-inquiry-report
Published Evidence
Published assessments of progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Source type badge indicates whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
IPSO can direct corrections and apologies. However the average waiting time for complaint adjudication was 161 days and the upheld rate is very low.
View detailed findings
Power to direct remedies exists but the low upheld rate and long delays undermine its effectiveness.