COMPLAINTS, CORRECTIONS AND RIGHT OF REPLY
Last updated: 31 August 2026
Our commitment
IPP Committee in Action is committed to truth, justice, accountability and responsible public campaigning. We welcome legitimate scrutiny of our work. We will consider complaints fairly, correct significant factual errors and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond where our published material directly criticises or makes significant claims about an identifiable person or organisation. No person will be disadvantaged for raising a concern in good faith or for expressing a different view about the IPP sentence, retrospective abolition or the People’s Inquiry.
What this policy covers
This policy applies to complaints concerning:
information published on this website;
campaign publications, statements or public communications;
significant factual inaccuracies or misleading omissions;
the conduct of somebody acting on behalf of IPP Committee in Action;
privacy, consent or the use of personal information;
accessibility;
safeguarding or wellbeing;
the treatment of victims, survivors, families or people affected by IPP;
fairness, conflicts of interest or procedural conduct connected with the developing People’s Inquiry; and
a failure to follow one of our published policies.
This procedure cannot overturn decisions made by courts, the Parole Board, prisons, probation services, government departments or other organisations. General disagreement with our campaign position will not, by itself, establish that our standards have been breached. However, evidence of factual inaccuracy, unfair treatment or improper conduct will always be considered.
How to make a complaint
Please contact us through the Contact page. If contacting us by email, use the subject line:
COMPLAINT
Please include, where possible:
your name and preferred contact details;
the webpage, publication, statement, decision or conduct concerned;
the date on which it occurred or was published;
a clear explanation of what you believe is wrong;
any evidence or source material supporting your concern;
the effect the matter has had; and
the outcome you are seeking.
You may ask for reasonable adjustments or an alternative way to submit your complaint.
Anonymous complaints will be considered, particularly where safety, trauma, whistleblowing or fear of repercussions is involved. However, anonymity may limit our ability to investigate, verify information or provide a detailed response.
How we will handle complaints
We aim to acknowledge a complaint within five working days.
We will first consider:
whether the complaint falls within this policy;
whether urgent safeguarding action is required;
whether it concerns personal data or another legal right;
whether further information is needed; and
whether anybody involved in handling it has a conflict of interest.
Where reasonably practicable, a complaint will not be decided solely by the person whose conduct or work is being challenged. We may review relevant documents, website records, correspondence and other available evidence. We may also invite the complainant, the person complained about or another relevant party to provide further information. We aim to provide a substantive response within 20 working days. Complex complaints may take longer. If additional time is required, we will explain the reason and provide an updated timescale.
Possible outcomes
A complaint may be:
upheld;
partially upheld;
not upheld;
resolved by agreement; or
closed because there is insufficient information to reach a fair conclusion.
Where appropriate, we may:
correct or clarify published material;
add an editor’s note or update;
publish a response or right of reply;
remove material;
apologise;
review a decision or procedure;
improve guidance, training or safeguarding arrangements;
restrict further use of personal material;
refer a concern to the appropriate safeguarding, regulatory or public authority; or
take another proportionate action.
We will explain the outcome and reasons as clearly as possible, subject to privacy, confidentiality, safeguarding and legal restrictions.
Factual corrections
If we establish that published material contains a significant factual error, we will correct it promptly and with appropriate prominence.
Substantial corrections should normally identify:
what was inaccurate or materially incomplete;
what has been corrected;
the date of the correction; and
where appropriate, the reliable source supporting the change.
We will not normally alter substantial published claims silently. Minor spelling, grammar, formatting or typographical errors may be corrected without a separate notice where the meaning has not changed. A correction does not necessarily require the removal of an entire publication where the problem can be dealt with fairly through an amendment, clarification, update or accompanying response. Opinions will not be described as factual errors merely because somebody disagrees with them. However, an opinion based on materially inaccurate information may require clarification or correction.
Right of reply
Where our published material directly criticises or makes significant adverse claims about an identifiable person or organisation, we will consider a reasonable request for a response. Where practicable and appropriate, we will seek comment before publishing a serious allegation. Urgency, public records, unsuccessful attempts to obtain comment, safeguarding concerns or other compelling public-interest considerations may affect whether prior contact is possible. A response should address the relevant claim, remain proportionate in length and avoid unlawful, threatening, abusive or irrelevant material. We may edit a proposed response for length, clarity, privacy, safeguarding or legal reasons. We will not knowingly change its essential meaning without agreement. A response may be published alongside the original material, as an update or through another appropriately prominent format. This commitment to fairness does not create an automatic entitlement to publish any statement in full. We may decline or limit publication where a response is unsupported, seriously misleading, unlawful, abusive, exposes somebody to harm or breaches another person’s rights.
Victims, survivors and vulnerable participants
Complaints from victims and survivors will be treated with dignity, sensitivity and independence. Nobody will be required to support retrospective abolition or any campaign position in order to be heard fairly. Victim involvement must contribute to accountability and better criminal justice outcomes; it must not be used merely for publicity or political point-scoring. We will take particular care where a complaint involves trauma, children, adults at risk, confidential testimony, identification risks or fear of contact with an offender. Making a complaint will not require direct engagement with another participant or with any person serving, or formerly serving, an IPP sentence. Urgent safeguarding concerns will be handled under our Safeguarding and Wellbeing framework rather than waiting for the ordinary complaints timetable.
Personal information and rectification
Requests to correct inaccurate personal information are also governed by our Privacy Notice and applicable data-protection law. A data-protection rectification request is different from a disagreement about an opinion, historical testimony or a genuinely disputed account. We may need to examine supporting evidence before deciding how a contested record should be handled. We will normally respond to a valid request concerning data-protection rights within one calendar month, subject to any lawful extension or exemption. You may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about the handling of your personal information. You are welcome to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the matter, but doing so does not remove your right to approach the Information Commissioner.
Review of a decision
If you believe a complaint outcome was materially flawed, you may request a review within 20 working days of receiving it.
A review request should explain why you believe:
important evidence was overlooked;
the procedure was unfair;
a conflict of interest affected the decision;
the stated reasons do not support the outcome; or
the proposed remedy is clearly inadequate or disproportionate.
Where reasonably practicable, the review will be undertaken by somebody who did not make the original decision. A review is not a complete reinvestigation merely because the complainant disagrees with the outcome. However, relevant new evidence and significant procedural concerns will be considered. We aim to complete a review within 20 working days or explain why further time is needed. The review response will normally conclude our internal complaints procedure.
Abusive or repeated communications
We will not reject or restrict a complaint merely because it is persistent, challenging, critical or uncomfortable. However, we may limit communications that are threatening, discriminatory, deliberately abusive, knowingly false or substantially repetitive after the issues have already been fully considered. Any restriction should be proportionate and should not prevent new evidence, a safeguarding disclosure or a separate legitimate complaint from being considered.
Confidentiality and records
Complaints will be handled as confidentially as reasonably possible. Information will only be shared with people who need it to assess the concern, protect somebody from harm, obtain appropriate advice or comply with the law. We will keep proportionate records of complaints, decisions, corrections and reviews in accordance with our Privacy Notice. We may publish anonymised information about complaint themes, outcomes and improvements where doing so supports transparency and does not identify or endanger individuals.
Contact us
To submit a complaint, request a correction or seek a right of reply, please use the Contact page on this website.
Please clearly mark your message:
COMPLAINT
CORRECTION REQUEST
RIGHT OF REPLY
or
URGENT SAFEGUARDING CONCERN