Duty to Protect Press Freedom
In passing legislation to identify the legitimate requirements to be met by an independent regulator organised by the press, and to provide for a process of recognition and review of whether those requirements are and continue to be met, the law should also place an explicit duty on the Government to uphold and protect the freedom of the press.
- The Crime and Courts Act 2013 and the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press (October 2013) do not include an explicit statutory duty on the government to protect press freedom.
- No subsequent legislation has enacted such a duty.
- The Human Rights Act 1998, s.12 provides procedural protections for freedom of expression in legal proceedings, but this predates Leveson and does not constitute the specific duty on government that was recommended.
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.
No explicit statutory duty on the Government to uphold and protect the freedom of the press was enacted alongside the recognition legislation.
View detailed findings
Not implemented. No statutory duty to protect press freedom was enacted.