The Home Office has today launched an end-to-end review into the police accountability system. The review, chaired by Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC, will examine how police officers are held to account.
Its objectives include identifying barriers that can delay outcomes and considering how the system can be made faster, fairer, and more effective. The review will assess the handling of police misconduct cases across different parts of the misconduct and wider justice system.
The Home Office stated that lengthy investigations can leave victims and their families waiting years for resolution. It also noted that officers found to have done nothing wrong can be kept away from frontline duties for too long.
The review follows calls from policing leaders and the Independent Office for Police Conduct's director general for further reforms to the systems used to hold police accountable.