Standards investigations

IPSO can undertake a standards investigation to investigate where it has serious concerns about the behaviour or actions of one or more of its members

IPSO’s Board makes the decision about whether or not to launch a standards investigation after looking at information gathered by staff on complaints, the whistleblowing service and members of the public.

IPSO may require that a standards investigation takes place where:

  • there may have been serious and systemic breaches of the Editors’ Code
  • there has been one or more failure or failures to comply with the requirements of the Board
  • an annual statement identifies significant issues of concern either in relation to a single incident or a pattern of significant, serial or widespread breaches of the Editors’ Code
  • statutory authority reports identify substantial Editors’ Code compliance issues
  • in exceptional circumstances, IPSO reasonably considers that an investigation is desirable because substantial legal issues or Editors’ Code compliance issues are raised.

IPSO can impose one or more of the following sanctions if it decides that the concerns are sufficiently serious: 

  • publish an adjudication, which may include a requirement to address the concerns raised
  • impose a fine on the member(s) of up to £1 million
  • require the member(s) to pay the reasonable costs of the investigation
  • require a publisher to submit a quarterly statement for an agreed period
  • terminate the members(s) membership of IPSO.

 

Standards investigation panelists

Andrew Baum

Andrew is a solicitor with 27 years’ experience, including 24 in regulatory and disciplinary work. He has been a senior solicitor with the Financial Conduct Authority since 2008 and is chair of numerous panels, including Redbridge Independent Education Appeals Panel; the Fitness to Practise Panel and Appeals Panel of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health; and East London and Essex Liberal Synagogue Investment Committee.

Andrew’s work with the FCA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee and the Enforcement Division has seen him lead on several high-profile investigations, including into consumer credit collections and insurance fraud.

Adam Baxter

Adam was the Director for Standards and Audience Protection at Ofcom  for the last five of his 17 years spent working for the regulator, with responsibility for developing the policy framework and enforcing editorial content standards for broadcast and video-on-demand services.

As part of his role with Ofcom, Adam has made decisions on high-profile cases involving broadcasters like GB News and personalities like Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan and defending such decisions in both the political and media spheres.

As a member of Ofcom’s Election Committee, he contributed to high-profile editorial standards decisions taken during election periods, as well as other key regulatory decisions concerning elections, such as in relation to the Alba Party’s complaint about STV during the 2024 General Election.

Andy Brennan 

Andy was a senior investigating officer  with West Yorkshire Police, before going on to become deputy director of the National Crime Agency (NCA)’s, Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. In total, Andrew has 30 years of experience working in police and law enforcement.

He has served with West Yorkshire Police as Detective Superintendent for six years and as Detective Chief Superintendent heading up the homicide and major enquiry team from 2010 to 2013 and the professional standards and counter corruption unit from 2013 to 2014, before moving on to the NCA. He has been the strategic lead for the UK’s response of tackling online offences against children, in line with the government’s 4P response. He has chaired the Europol Cyber CSE Group, delivering a strategic approach o law enforcement and prevention work across member states.

Andy is a former member of IPSO’s Complaints Committee, having served two terms from 2019 to 2024.

Andy currently serves as lay member on the Fitness to Practice Committee, General Optical Council; the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapy.

Rachel Childs

Rachel is a former headteacher who has held leadership positions across the primary and secondary sectors.

She served as an ASA Council Member from 2011-2018 and is currently acting as the ASA’s Independent Reviewer on an interim basis. Rachel also serves as the Chair of the Portman Group’s Independent Complaints Panel and as an Independent Complaints Assessor for the Department of Transport. Rachel works for several professional regulators, chairing fitness to practise hearings and meetings for the NMC, the HCPC and the General Osteopathic Council. She is also a lay member of the Professional Conduct Committee of the Architects Registration Board.

Unyime Davies

Unyime is a barrister with 19 years of advocacy experience. Since 2015 she has been a barrister at Drystone Chambers, prosecuting and defending in cases alleging serious violence up to murder, rape and high value fraud.

During her time at Drystone, Unyime has undertaken secondments at the Financial Conduct Authority, where she worked for the team bringing a case against NatWest under the Money Laundering Act, and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, where she was instructed on a number of sensitive cases. She is also a legal advisor to Ealing Council.

Janine Green

Janine is a nationally recognised specialist in antisocial behaviour and community safety, as well as an experienced tribunal and committee member. She currently runs her own consultancy business and serves as a lay member on the Bar Tribunal and Adjudication Service and the Nursing and Midwifery Council

She advises a range of organisations including the National Counter Terrorism Unit and the Home Office ASB Advisory Board.

Janine has served as managing director of Resolve ASB, as well as legal and governance manager at Housing Plus.

Dermott Horrigan

Dermott retired from Lancashire Police after 35 years’ service, 27 as an investigator at all ranks from constable to detective chief superintendent. He has considerable experience in leading investigations and is an experienced practitioner relating to the acquisition and exploitation of intelligence and the use of sensitive covert tactics. He has worked with the Home Office and national law enforcement partners to develop and shape the landscape relating to the identification and targeting of serious organised crime.

Dermott has also worked as an associate inspector for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.  He has undertaken inspections of police forces, the National Crime Agency and other law enforcement bodies.  These inspections related to a number of capabilities such as, serious and organised crime, unlawful immigration, counter corruption, digital forensics, sensitive intelligence and the policing response to Covid. This work involved detailed engagement at all levels of the relevant organisation to determine their capability and capacity to operate effectively and in line with national standards.

Tom Manson

Tom is a retired senior officer from the Metropolitan Police Service with over 30 years’ operational experience in organised crime and counterterrorism.

Since leaving policing, he has focused on applying his expertise to support and develop others. He has served as an Associate of the College of Policing, delivering senior officer investigation training in the UK and overseas, and is now Director of a company specialising in the design and delivery of investigation and leadership training for both public and private sector organisations.

Tom also contributes to professional standards in healthcare as a Lay Panel Member on health regulator investigation committees.

Suzanne McCarthy

Suzanne is Chair of the Fire Standards Board, the Valuation Tribunal Service and the National Guardian Office’s Accountability and Liaison Board.  She is also a member of the Boards of the College of Policing, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority and the Fundraising Regulator. She chairs the latter’s Standards Committee.

Suzanne also chairs two charities. In addition, she acts as one of the Independent Appointed Person for the Greater London Authority, is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ Transitional Standards Steering Committee and a reserve chair for the General Pharmaceutical Council’s Fitness to Practice Panel. Her previous Board appointments include the General Medical Council, the University of London, the Advertising Standards Authority and the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust. Suzanne qualified as a solicitor.

Peter Clifton

Peter was Editor-in-Chief of PA Media’s London office from 2015 to 2024, spanning the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Covid crisis, Brexit, the 2017 terror attacks and multiple general elections.

He has more than 40 years’ experience in journalism, starting at the Northampton Chronicle and Echo in 1981 as a sports and news reporter.

His career has seen him work as Editor for the BBC News website, launching the BBC Sport website and Executive Producer for the MSN UK website.

Richard Neville

Richard was Head of News Brands at DC Thomson Media for nearly three years (January 2019 to December 2021), having been with the publisher since 2003. An industry veteran of 20 years, he is currently a director of Neville Robertson Communications, a consultancy firm. He was previously Editor-in-Chief for DC Thomson, Editor of the Dundee Courier, and Editor of Business A.M. (Edinburgh).

Richard is Chairman of Creative Dundee and has been a board member since 2021. He is also director and trustee of Dundee Heritage Trust, board member of Maggie’s Centre Dundee, advisory board member of the School of Business at the University of Dundee and has been chairman of the Judging Panel of the Scottish Press Awards since 2023.

Marianna Partasides

Marianna was the Executive News Editor at Mail Online from 2021 to 2025 and News Editor from 2016 to 2020, as well as Deputy Editor for the two years prior. Her time with the title has seen her working to grow the site’s US presence and driving the news agenda for a range of major global stories, including the US election, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, war in Ukraine, the LA fires and Florida hurricanes, school shootings and royal coverage.

Prior to her time with Mail Online, Marianna was a news editor at the Daily Star between 2008-2014. She cut her teeth on local journalism at the Barnet Press and the Haringey Advertiser.

Patrick Phelvin

Patrick has a 20-year career in journalism, with extensive experience in local journalism, including working for Trinity Mirror and Local World from 2012 to 2018, concluding in the role of Group Editor.  He oversaw delivery of the company’s digital strategy, including the creation of 24/7 news website DevonLive.com, which went on to become one of the country’s largest in terms of audience, reaching more than 10m page views a month. His time at the publisher also saw him commission multimedia projects, including true crime podcast The Disappearance of Genette Tate which featured in iTune’s international top 10, as well as producing four newspapers a week across four communities, alongside digital content.

Patrick has worked as a multimedia journalist for the Daily Telegraph, as sub-editor for Northcliffe Media and group editor for Local World and Trinity Mirror.

He is currently the Assistant Director of External Communications and Customer Relations at Devon County Council.