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Daniel Morgan Independent Panel

Completed

Daniel Morgan Panel

Chair Baroness Nuala O'Loan DBE Other
Established 17 Sep 2013
Final Report 15 Jun 2021
Commissioned by Home Office Independent panel; not a statutory public inquiry

Independent panel established to shine a light on the circumstances of the murder of Daniel Morgan in 1987 and the handling of the case over the 34 years since. The Panel found the Metropolitan Police institutionally corrupt and made 23 recommendations on police corruption, vetting, whistleblowing, and inquiry processes.

Evidence & Impact
The Daniel Morgan Independent Panel was established in 2013 to examine the circumstances of Daniel Morgan's murder in 1987 and the handling of subsequent investigations. The Panel, chaired by Baroness Nuala O'Loan, published its report on 15 June 2021 containing 23 recommendations focused on police integrity, anti-corruption measures, and transparency.

The government response in June 2023 accepted 19 recommendations (83%), accepted two in principle (9%), and did not accept two (9%). The government declined to introduce custodial sentences for unlawfully obtaining data under the Data Protection Act 2018, stating that existing unlimited fines were proportionate. It also declined to introduce licensing for private investigators, noting industry progress on self-regulation through the Association of British Investigators' draft Code of Conduct.

Published evidence indicates several concrete changes have occurred. The Metropolitan Police Service conducted additional forensic analysis on Daniel Morgan's diary and communicated results to his family. Major structural reforms include the establishment of the Metropolitan Police's Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command in November 2021, with HMICFRS noting in January 2025 that the force had completed associated recommendations including recruiting over 200 additional professional standards officers and doubling vetting refusal rates to 11%.

Legislative changes include the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 and the introduction of a statutory duty of cooperation for police officers in February 2020. The National Major Crime Investigation Manual published in November 2021 now distinguishes between Senior Investigating Officer and Family Liaison Officer roles.

However, significant gaps in published evidence remain. The recommended HMICFRS thematic investigation into whistleblower protections has not been conducted. The new Code of Practice on Police Information and Records Management, described as to be laid before Parliament 'shortly' after June 2023, has no published evidence of approval. The statutory duty of candour, linked to the proposed Hillsborough Law through the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill introduced in September 2025, remains stalled in the House of Commons with no confirmed report stage date as of March 2026.

The Metropolitan Police's December 2025 policy requiring declaration of Freemason membership addresses the Panel's recommendation for that force, though the government declined to legislate nationally and the policy faces legal challenge.
Reforms Attributed to This Inquiry
- The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021 established a new statutory framework for CHIS with a new Code of Practice
- The Metropolitan Police Service established a new Anti-Corruption and Abuse Command and Counter Corruption Board in November 2021
- A statutory duty of cooperation for serving police officers was introduced by the Home Office in February 2020 as part of wider integrity reforms
- The National Major Crime Investigation Manual was published in November 2021, setting standards for all forces alongside College of Policing guidance
- Police HOLMES databases became Cloud-based from 2020, enabling access via corporately managed devices for those with appropriate clearance
- The Crown Prosecution Service updated its guidance on 16 February 2022 to include non-financial forms of anticipated personal gain
- The Metropolitan Police Service introduced a new policy in December 2025 requiring officers and staff to declare membership of hierarchical organisations with confidential membership, including Freemasons
Unfinished Business
- The thematic investigation by HMICFRS into the operation of whistleblower protections has not been conducted
- The new Code of Practice on Police Information and Records Management, stated to be laid before Parliament 'shortly' after June 2023, has no published evidence of approval or implementation
- No specific guidance has been published for officers on determining when disclosure of investigative material to journalists is appropriate, necessary and lawful
- No specific new arrangements or guidelines for the secure storage of sensitive material by inquiries have been identified
- No specific policy, system or legislation for retaining documents in digitised form for major incidents has been identified
- The statutory duty of candour for law enforcement agencies remains stalled with the Public Authority (Accountability) Bill having no confirmed report stage date as of March 2026
Generated 18 Mar 2026 using claude-opus-4. Assessment is indicative, not authoritative.
7 years, 9 months Duration
£16m Total Cost
1,200,000 Documents
1,251 Report Pages
Inquiry Website
Government Response
Accepted 19
Accepted in Part 2
Not Accepted 2
Total Recommendations 23
Data last updated: 30 Jan 2025 · Source
Data verified: 23 Mar 2026 (import)
How to read this

Government Response tracks what the government said it would do (accepted, rejected, etc.).

Full methodology

since Mar 2016
Early Day Motion POLICE CORRUPTION
Paul Flynn (Labour)
03 Mar 2016
All Activity (1)
Title Volume Publication Date Recs Links
The Report of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel - 15 Jun 2021 23
10 Mar 1987
Murder of Daniel Morgan

Private investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered in a pub car park in Sydenham.

10 May 2013
Panel Established

Home Secretary Theresa May established an independent panel.

Source
10 May 2013
Chair Appointed

Baroness Nuala O'Loan appointed as Chair.

30 Jan 2014
Terms of Reference Set

Panel to examine police handling and corruption allegations.

01 Nov 2019
Maxwellisation Process

Those facing criticism given opportunity to respond.

15 Jun 2021
Report Published

Report found Met Police "institutionally corrupt" in handling the case.

Source
15 Jun 2021
Government Response

Home Secretary acknowledged findings and apologised to the family.

Clear

Recommendations (2)

DM-14
Accepted in Part
Register membership of organisations like Freemasons
Recommendation
All police officers and police staff should be obliged to register in confidence with the Chief Officer of their police force, at either their point of recruitment to the police force or at any point subsequent to their recruitment, their … Read more
Published evidence summary
According to Independent evidence, December 2025, on 11 December 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) introduced a policy requiring its officers and staff to declare membership of hierarchical organisations with confidential membership, explicitly including the Freemasons. According to Independent evidence, December 2025, this action by the MPS addresses the recommendation for its own force, although the government declined to legislate nationally on this matter, and the MPS policy faces legal challenge from the Freemasons.
Home Office (Primary)
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DM-17
Accepted in Part
Statutory duty of candour for law enforcement
Recommendation

The Panel recommends the creation of a statutory duty of candour, to be owed by all law enforcement agencies to those whom they serve, subject to protection of national security and relevant data protection legislation.

Published evidence summary
According to independent evidence from February 2026, the government accepted in principle the recommendation for a statutory duty of candour for law enforcement agencies, linking it to the proposed "Hillsborough Law". The Public Authority (Accountability) Bill, which includes provisions for a duty of candour, was introduced on 16 September 2025 and passed its second reading on 3 November 2025. However, as of February 2026, the bill is stalled in the House of Commons with no confirmed return date, meaning the statutory duty is not yet enacted.
Home Office (Primary)
View Details