We are disappointed in the ASA ruling, and particularly disappointed that, unusually, the Council has chosen twice to overrule the decision of its own professional staff on this advert, which first appeared over a year ago, and has not been re-used for 9 months. It will therefore strike many as a political judgement, made by a body part-funded and appointed by the press industry and we will be appealing the decision.

We believe that the advert promoting the Royal Charter was very clear in what it was aiming to achieve and was not misleading. This was accepted by the ASA's professional staff back in April when they originally threw out the complaint and then again in November in their recommendation to the Council.

The public, Hacked Off and the press industry all accept that the Royal Charter implements the Leveson Report recommendations - as our Declaration makes clear. It is only the ASA Council, still fighting last year’s war, which thinks otherwise.

Hacked Off will of course abide by the ruling of the ASA, pending the appeal process.