Public less likely to sue if press complaint upheld

Members of the public whose complaints about newspaper articles are upheld by the press ombudsman may be less likely to sue, according to the chair of the press council.

Dáithí Ó Ceallaigh said in the past six years, those whose complaints were upheld by the press council or press ombudsman “have, by and large, decided not to avail of legal remedies that might still be open to them”.

Mr Ó Ceallaigh said this could be seen as “a vote of confidence in the effectiveness of the code [of practice for newspapers and magazines] and of the enforcement mechanisms built into the structures of the office of the press ombudsman and press council.”