The Press Recognition Panel, the body empowered by Royal Charter to officially designate press regulators as Leveson-compliant, has announced its new chair will be social policy expert Gerard Lemos.
Lemos has previously served as chair of the board of the British Council, vice president of the British Board of Film Certification, a Civil Service commissioner and a non-executive director of the Crown Prosecution Service.
While at the BBFC, Lemos was among the team that decided not to award certification to horror sequel The Human Centipede 2 in June 2011. The film eventually won approval after making 32 cuts totalling over two and a half minutes – with Lemos abstaining from the rest of the board’s collective decision.
Lemos will be the second chair of the PRP, succeeding barrister David Wolfe. Wolfe oversaw the recognition of the first and to date only Leveson-compliant regulator, Impress, in the face of a two-year legal challenge by the News Media Association. He hands over to Lemos on 17 June 2022.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog
