Periodic Review of Regulator
Leveson Inquiry · An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · Issued 29 November 2012 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The operation of any certified body should be reviewed by the recognition body after two years and thereafter at three yearly intervals.
Leveson Inquiry, An Inquiry into the Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press · 29 Nov 2012 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- 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).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The 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
UK Government · 29 Nov 2012 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2025 · Press Recognition Panel 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 source → Confirmed Completed
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.