Dr Paul Wragg celebrates historic moment

Dr Paul Wragg, Associate Professor of Law, has been working closely with the IMPRESS organisation, an independent body, formed in the aftermath of the Leveson Inquiry into press culture and ethics. 

Earlier this week, its application for recognition as a press regulator was approved by the Press Recognition Panel. This historic moment means IMPRESS is the UK’s first truly independent press regulator. Newspapers who sign up for membership with IMPRESS will benefit from an inexpensive arbitration scheme that allows them and those affected by their work to settle disputes quickly and cost effectively without recourse to expensive legal proceedings. 

Members of IMPRESS will be judged against a code of conduct that Dr Wragg and other members of the code committee have devised.  Dr Wragg, who specialises in privacy law, press freedom and press regulation, commented "this is a pivotal moment in the history of press freedom and press regulation. Here is an opportunity to better protect newspapers from costly legal actions and to better protect real people from the real harm that newspapers sometimes do".