Investigators need more effective, consistent training on the disclosure process

The National Police Chiefs' Council has responded to allegations of deliberate withholding of material relevant to ongoing court cases.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Criminal Justice, Chief Constable Nick Ephgrave said:

"National training and guidance on disclosure does not in any way endorse or encourage the unnecessary withholding of any material relevant to a case. It is, however, right that in cases involving sensitive unused material, such as details of an informant, that this is not automatically shared with the defence. This is entirely in line with legislation and national guidelines and is well understood by defence and prosecution alike.

“At the same time, we know that investigators need more effective, consistent training and advice so they have absolute clarity about the disclosure process - and this is central to the improvement plan we have put into action with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and College of Policing.”

The Times published a story on Tuesday, 3 April which cited documents obtained by the Centre for Criminal Appeals under a freedom of information request. It references a comment made by an individual in a police focus group that was set up by the criminal justice inspectorates to inform their joint report on disclosure that was published last year.