How Your Complaint is Handled

The Press Council's mandate is to consider "unsatisfied" complaints from the public about the conduct of its member newspapers in gathering an publishing news and opinion. The Council is concerned with newspapers only - complaints about advertising or electronic media should be directed to the bodies set up to deal with such complaints.

Council will deal with a complaint only after:

1. The newspaper has been given opportunity to resolve the complaint.
2. The action taken by the newspaper has failed to satisfy the complaint.
3. Mediation efforts by the Executive-Director have failed to resolve the issue.

To be considered, a complaint must be detailed and relate to a specific conduct of the newspaper.

Council will generally not consider a complaint filed more than 45 days after the occurrence giving rise to it, but at is discretion, may extend this time period.

Council will not consider a complaint in which legal action is involved or contemplated since the Council was established and designed to serve as an inexpensive and informal alternative to legal action. Complainants are required to sign a waiver prior to the scheduling of a hearing agreeing not to pursue legal action.

Most complaints normally only involve modest expenditures for stationary and postage. Council will reimburse complainants for reasonable travel expense related to attendance at the hearing.

Council may at its discretion decline to consider a complaint or cease an inquiry if the complaint is deemed to be frivolous, vexatious or made in bad faith.

Complaints that reflect mere differences of opinion or complaints about non-publication of letters to the editor will be considered only in exceptional cases.

Anonymous complaints will not be accepted.

Any individual or organization directly affected by matters about which they are complaining may file a complaint.

Occasionally, the Press Council may consider complaints from third-parties (people not directly affected) but only where the complainant raises a significant issue of press ethics and a prima facie breach of the Press Council Code of Practice. A third-party complaint must be accompanied by waivers (where obtainable) from directly-affected parties agreeing not to pursue legal action.

The decision to order a hearing in the case of third-party complaints will be made by a quorum of the Board of Directors and not by the Review Committee.

Hearings and Decisions
When a hearing is scheduled, a complainant and the newspaper are required to submit all written evidence 14 days in advance of the hearing date. Submissions after this time period will not be accepted.

All hearings are held in public. No legal representation is allowed. Witnesses are not sworn in and no verbatim record of the proceedings is taken. Both the complainant and the newspaper will be given the opportunity to present their cased and question each others evidence. Council directors may also pose questions to witnesses, In the event of a procedural question, the Chair shall take conduct of the meeting.

Upon conclusion of the hearing, Council directors will deliberate in-camera. Their decision will be announced in a press release. The newspaper involved is required to publish Council’s decision in full.

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