The police accountability system: Call for evidence
Published 4 November 2026
Applies to England and Wales
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/police-accountability/the-police-accountability-system-call-for-evidence
How to respond
The call for evidence opened at 12.00pm on 4 November 2026 and will close at 11:59pm on 15 January 2027.
You can respond online or download the questions and email your response to:
policeaccountabilityreview@homeoffice.gov.uk
If you wish to provide supporting documents, please send these to the above email address.
Overview
This call for evidence invites views, evidence and insights from anyone with experience of, expertise in, or an interest in the police accountability system to inform the independent End-to-end review of the police accountability system [footnote 1] (‘the review’), chaired by Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC (‘the review co-chairs’).
The review will assess the systemic issues in the end-to-end police accountability system and make recommendations for reform with the intent of:
- 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
- distinguishing individual and organisational accountability, with the routes to follow for each, with more precision
This call for evidence is an important opportunity for individuals and organisations to share their experiences, perspectives and evidence. In particular, the review co-chairs are interested in evidence about systemic issues, areas that work well, barriers to effective accountability, opportunities for improvement and suggestions for reform. The review co-chairs welcome contributions from any individual or organisation with relevant knowledge or experience of the police accountability system, including members of the public, victims, bereaved families, police officers and staff, police forces, oversight bodies, legal professionals, academics and representative organisations.
You do not need to answer every question and none of the questions are mandatory.
Please answer only the sections that are relevant to you or that you are willing to answer. You do not need to understand the technical terms used in the system, though a glossary can be found at Annex A, and we encourage you to describe your experience in your own words. Please focus on areas where you have relevant knowledge or experience and, where possible, provide evidence, examples, research or data to support your views. If referring to an individual case, please explain the wider systemic issues it illustrates rather than naming individuals.
Where possible, please support your views with evidence, examples, research, data or other findings. If you wish to provide supporting documents, please send these to the Review Secretariat Team at policeaccountabilityreview@homeoffice.gov.uk. This may include published or unpublished research, evaluation findings, data and analysis, organisational reports or reviews and procedural documentation. Please do not submit requests for the review of specific cases, or documents relating to ongoing complaints, investigations or legal proceedings. Supporting documents and data should be anonymised wherever possible and should not contain personal data, case reference numbers or other identifying information.
Responses will be used to inform the review’s evidence base, analysis and final recommendations to the government. The review co-chairs may draw on evidence provided through this call for evidence when developing findings and reporting on themes identified during the review. Any publication arising from the review will focus on systemic issues and lessons rather than individual cases. The review co-chairs do not intend to publish personal information and will seek to anonymise quotations or evidence used in their reporting where appropriate.
About this call for evidence
Please note that the review is unable to investigate, intervene in, or provide advice on individual complaints, police misconduct matters, criminal cases, or ongoing legal proceedings. If you wish to make a complaint about a police force or officer, you should contact the relevant police force or the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Information on police complaints can be found via your local police force, the relevant policing authority or the IOPC website.
Responses will be handled in accordance with data protection legislation and Home Office information management requirements. A privacy notice explaining how personal information will be collected, stored, used, shared and retained is available. Respondents are encouraged not to include unnecessary personal information and, where possible, should anonymise any supporting evidence provided.