Guidance

End-to-end review of the police accountability system: terms of reference

Published 30 July 2026

Applies to England and Wales

Context and intent

The government is committed to addressing concerns raised by policing leaders, the IOPC and other bodies, police officers, victims, and families on the overall systems for holding police officers to account. Therefore, the government has asked two independent reviewers to rapidly and jointly 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

Scope

The review must be an evidence-led assessment of operational and legal complexities, in the current policing systems for holding officers to account. It will also assess the interaction between it and the wider coronial, civil and criminal justice systems in England and Wales. The review must make recommendations to the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor on what changes can be made to improve the timeliness, efficiency and effectiveness of the systems for holding police to account.

The review must make specific findings and recommendations against the following guiding principles:

1. A ‘whole-system’ examination of the police accountability system which establishes whether it is fit for purpose;
2. What barriers affect timeliness and how those could be addressed to minimise avoidable delays for victims, families and officers;
3. Whether the oversight and accountability powers available to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), local professional standards departments (PSDs) and local policing bodies are adequate;
4. Whether there is sufficient openness and clarity within the system to ensure it maintains public trust and confidence, and that of complainants and officers and staff affected;
5. Whether and how the relationship between the police accountability system and other components of the justice system (including, criminal, coronial and civil systems) could be improved to ensure greater effectiveness and efficiency; and
6. Whether relevant learning can be taken from the accountability system in other equivalent professions or jurisdictions.

The review must examine the entire police accountability system, including by assessing the legislation, policy and guidance that underpin it. It should also evaluate the criteria and decision-making processes used to determine whether an investigation should be initiated, and by which body or organisation it should be undertaken.

Output and timing

The review will be led by Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC, reporting to the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor. It will provide findings to the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor within 6 months.

Governance

Dame Lynne Owens and Jason Beer KC have been appointed as chairs and are accountable to the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor for delivery of the review.

Details of the governance and the methodology for the review will be agreed between the chairs, the Home Secretary and Lord Chancellor. The review will be data driven (where it exists) and the methodology will include how feedback from victims, complainants, the wider public, officers, others within the accountability system and system leaders will be gathered to provide the fullest evidence base to inform coherent recommendations.