Independent review of police accountability system launched

Chaired by chaired by Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC, the review is seeking views from victims, bereaved families, police officers, and anyone with experience of or interest in the police system.

Latest figures from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published last month show that more than 108,000 police complaints were logged in 2025/26, up 15 per cent on the previous year.

However, the IOPC cautions that changes in how complaints are recorded and handled contribute to that rise, so it should “not be read as a direct measure of misconduct”.

The review is examining how complaints, investigations, performance issues and misconduct processes work across policing, including the impacts of the criminal, civil and coronial systems. It will consider the evidence from different perspectives, including where there are strongly held and conflicting views, and make recommendations for reform

Dame Lynne said: “As part of the call for evidence we want to establish what people think the accountability system is for.

“We want to hear from people whose experiences and perspectives differ, both in terms of the current challenges and the solutions to resolve them. Their evidence will help us reach fair, well-founded conclusions about the system.”

Mr Beer added: “This is a once in a generation opportunity fundamentally to reform the police accountability system. We encourage everyone with relevant evidence to contribute.”

IOPC Director General, Rachel Watson, said the current system was “too complex and overly bureaucratic”.

“Since I joined the IOPC in April 2024, I have been clear that there are a series of issues the current system of police accountability is simply not set up to address, much to the detriment of those who have a stake in its successful operation,” she said.

“The system is too complex and overly bureaucratic, and as the police complaints watchdog, we see regularly in our investigations that it does not work for complainants, bereaved families, or officers.”

The review will make recommendations for:

• Improving public, including victim and witness, confidence in the police accountability system to sustain public legitimacy;
• Improving the confidence of police officers such that they are and feel supported to perform well;
• Creating a speedier, simpler and more effective accountability regime; and
• Distinguishing individual and organisational accountability, with the routes to follow for each, with more precision.

National Police Chiefs’ Council chair, Gavin Stephens, said:

“I welcome this call for evidence and continue to support the wider Accountability Review.

“To be effective, the review must hear a wide range of views, so I encourage everyone across policing to take part and share their experiences.

“Input from both policing and the communities we serve will help build public confidence, provide greater clarity for officers and staff, and support a fairer, more balanced system for the future.”

Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales, Claire Waxman OBE, said: “I am acutely aware that victims and bereaved families’ experiences of the police complaints system can often be difficult, distressing and retraumatising.

“For many, it can also be a lengthy process, undertaken in the hope of receiving answers, recognition of the harm they have suffered or where appropriate, an apology or meaningful redress. Victims want genuine opportunities to help improve policing and the wider criminal justice system, and their lived experience and expertise are essential to driving any lasting change.

“This review seeks to simplify and improve processes and strengthen public confidence in the police accountability system. To achieve this, it is so important that a diverse and broad range of voices including those of victims are heard in the review.”

The call for evidence is open until Friday January 15, 2027. Details, including who can respond, how information will be used and how to request alternative formats, are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/police-accountability