Official responses
How formal replies are published
Short answer
- Prominence, Council of Europe
- Same prominence as the contested item, as far as possible 1
- Bavaria
- Same part of the publication, same typeface 4
- Spain
- Similar prominence, no added comments, free 5
- France
- Up to 200 lines, free 3
- UK government replies
- Command Paper, memorandum or oral statement 7
- Canada
- Response tabled in the House 8
Prominence and placement
The Council of Europe's Resolution (74) 26 says a reply should be published without undue delay and, as far as possible, given the same prominence as the original item 1. Article 10 of the Bavarian Press Law is more precise. It requires the reply to appear in the same part of the publication and in the same typeface as the disputed text, without insertions or omissions 4.
Spain's Organic Law 2/1984 requires the full rectification to be published with similar prominence and without comments. A periodical that cannot meet the three-day deadline runs it in its next issue. Radio and television must broadcast it in a slot of similar audience and prominence 5. Article 28 of the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive says a television reply must be timely and suited to the broadcast concerned 6.
Length and cost
Reply laws limit length so the reply matches the original. In France, a reply may be as long as the article it answers and may reach 50 lines whatever the article's length, with an upper limit of 200 lines 3. The Bavarian law says a reply should not substantially exceed the disputed text 4. Spain says a rectification should not substantially exceed the original except where absolutely necessary 5.
Publication of the reply is free in France 3, in Bavaria 4 and in Spain 5. The Council of Europe's 2004 recommendation says publication should be free of charge for the person concerned 2.
Online publication and archives
Recommendation Rec(2004)16, adopted on 15 December 2004, asks media to publish a contact point for reply requests. Where a reply is granted and the original stays in an electronic archive, the two should be linked if possible 2.
Spain's government bill published on 30 January 2026 proposes detailed online rules. Digital media would have to offer a free mechanism for sending requests. On platforms, a rectification would appear beside the original with a notice, and the original would link to it 9. When published, the bill was a proposal referred to the Justice Committee of the Congress 9.
Government replies to parliamentary committees
UK Cabinet Office guidance dated October 2014 says a government response goes to Parliament first. It may be a Command Paper for matters of substance, a memorandum or letter to the committee chair, or an oral statement 7. The committee normally publishes a memorandum response itself. On request, a department may publish by placing the reply in the House Library and announcing it by written ministerial statement 7.
In Canada, Standing Order 109 requires the government to table a full response in the House within 120 days when the committee asks for one 8. Tabling puts the response in the House record.
| Setting | Placement rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Press reply, Bavaria | Same part and typeface, no insertions 4 | BayPrG Art. 10 4 |
| Rectification, Spain | Similar prominence, no comments 5 | Organic Law 2/1984 5 |
| Online archive, Council of Europe | Link reply and original 2 | Rec(2004)16 2 |
| UK government response | Laid before Parliament first 7 | Cabinet Office guidance 7 |
Common questions
Can a newspaper add a comment to a reply?
Spain's 1984 law requires publication without comments 5. Bavaria bars insertions or omissions 4.
Where must a reply appear?
Bavaria requires the same part of the publication and the same typeface as the disputed text 4.
How long can a reply be in France?
Up to the length of the article, at least 50 lines and no more than 200 lines 3.
Who publishes a UK government response to a select committee?
The committee normally publishes it, or the government presents a Command Paper 7.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@responseofrecord.com.
Sources
- Council of Europe Committee of Ministers: Resolution (74) 26 on the Right of Reply: Position of the Individual in Relation to the Press (2 July 1974)
- European Audiovisual Observatory IRIS: Committee of Ministers: Right of Reply in New Media Environment (IRIS 2005-1)
- Légifrance: Loi du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse (version in force 1 November 2026)
- Bayern.Recht: Bayerisches Pressegesetz (BayPrG) Art. 10 Gegendarstellung
- Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley Orgánica 2/1984, de 26 de marzo, reguladora del derecho de rectificación
- EUR-Lex: Directive 2010/13/EU (Audiovisual Media Services Directive), consolidated version of 18 December 2018
- Cabinet Office: Giving Evidence to Select Committees: Guidance for Civil Servants (October 2014)
- House of Commons of Canada: Chapter 13, Standing Orders (consolidated 27 April 2026)
- Congreso de los Diputados: BOCG Serie A Núm. 83-1, Proyecto de Ley Orgánica reguladora del derecho de rectificación (30 January 2026)
Related
- The right of reply explained
What a right of reply is, who can use it, what a medium must publish and when it may refuse, based on Council of Europe texts, EU law and national laws.
- Statutory right of reply by country
How France, Germany, Spain, the EU and the US treat the right of reply in law, with deadlines, length limits and court routes from official texts.
- How governments respond to parliamentary committee reports
Deadlines and forms for government replies to committee reports in the UK, Canada, Australia, India, the EU and the US, from standing orders and laws.
- What 'declined to comment' means
What 'declined to comment', 'did not respond' and 'chose not to appear' mean under broadcast codes and editorial standards, and how silence is reported.