Investigation Powers
The Board, being an independent self-regulatory body, should have authority to examine issues on its own initiative and have sufficient powers to carry out investigations both into suspected serious or systemic breaches of the code and failures to comply with directions of the Board. Those who subscribe must be required to cooperate with any such investigation.
- IPSO's regulations provide for the power to carry out standards investigations on its own initiative into suspected serious or systemic breaches.
- IPSO has conducted zero standards investigations in over ten years of operation (September 2014 to March 2026), despite multiple instances of alleged serious or systemic press misconduct during that period (IPSO Annual Reports 2015-2024, accessed March 2026).
- The Press Recognition Panel's 2024-25 Annual Report noted the absence of any standards investigation activity by IPSO (PRP Annual Report 2024-25, September 2025).
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 has the theoretical power to carry out standards investigations but has conducted zero investigations in over 10 years of operation (2014-2024). Press Gazette reported that a standards investigation is 'extremely unlikely' ever to occur. Despite systemic accuracy failures (e.g. six upheld rulings against the Express in three months in 2024), no investigation was launched.
View detailed findings
The power exists on paper but has never been used. Zero standards investigations in over a decade of operation constitutes a failure to implement this recommendation in any meaningful sense.