Periodic Review of Regulator
The operation of any certified body should be reviewed by the recognition body after two years and thereafter at three yearly intervals.
- The Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press (October 2013) requires the Press Recognition Panel to conduct cyclical reviews of recognised regulators (Royal Charter, October 2013).
- The PRP recognised IMPRESS in October 2016 and has conducted three cyclical reviews: the first approximately two years after recognition, and subsequent reviews at three-yearly intervals (PRP Cyclical Reviews, accessed March 2026).
- The third cyclical review of IMPRESS was completed in 2025, and the next review is due in 2028 (PRP, accessed March 2026).
- Review reports are published on the PRP website, enabling public scrutiny of the recognised regulator's ongoing compliance (PRP Cyclical Reviews, accessed March 2026).
- The Press Recognition Panel reported that three cyclical reviews had confirmed that IMPRESS continued to meet the recognition criteria (10th Annual Report on the Recognition System, Press Recognition Panel, 24 February 2026).
How was this evidence gathered?
Response
Accepted in Part
Response
Accepted in PartThe government established a Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press (granted 30 October 2013) and passed the Crime and Courts Act 2013 as its legislative response. This was an alternative to the statutory framework Leveson recommended. The Press Recognition Panel was created under the Royal Charter as the recognition body. The Prime Minister stated on 29 November 2012 that he accepted the principles but had "serious concerns and misgivings" about statutory underpinning. 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.
The Press Recognition Panel reports that IMPRESS has undergone three cyclical reviews since recognition, following the required initial and three-year review cycle.
View detailed findings
In 2016, Impress became the first – and remains the only – regulator to be recognised as meeting all of those requirements. Since then, three cyclical reviews have independently confirmed that it continues to meet them.
The PRP conducts cyclical reviews of recognised regulators. IMPRESS has been reviewed three times (most recently 2025, next due 2028). Reviews are published and assess continued compliance with all 29 criteria.
View detailed findings
Periodic review process operational as recommended.