Government ministers are reportedly preparing to announce that a raft of senior political and establishment figures will be called up to oversee a new system of press regulation established by Royal Charter, according to reports in The Telegraph.
Amongst their number are expected to be a host of political and judicial heavyweights including Baron Smith of Finsbury, a former Labour cabinet minister and Baron Phillips of Worth Matravers, a former president of the Supreme Court.
The presidents of both the Royal Society and Royal Academy will also be called upon to review the watchdog every three years to ensure it remains up to the job.
The moves come in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry and are intended to prevent a repeat of the phone hacking scandal by introducing new levels of oversight, though falling short of the statutory underpinning demanded by some.
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister and the Culture Secretary have been clear that they do not feel that statutory underpinning is necessary to achieve a tough independent self-regulator as outlined by the Leveson principles.”