Police media disclosure
Absence of clear guidance for police officers on determining the appropriateness, necessity, and lawfulness of disclosing investigative material to journalists.
7 items
1 source
3 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Police media disclosure has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
7 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Inquiry Recommendations (7)
L77 — Police Media Contact Rule
Recommendation: The simple rule included within the 'Interim ACPO Guidance for Relationships with the Media' should be adopted as good practice. This is: "Police officers and staff should ask: 'am I the person responsible for communicating about this issue and is …
Gov response: The Prime Minister stated on 29 November 2012: "Lord Justice Leveson makes a number of recommendations that are designed to break the perception of an excessively cosy relationship between the press and the police and …
Accepted
L76 — ACPO Media Contact Recording
Recommendation: It should be mandatory for ACPO rank officers to record all of their contact with the media, and for that record to be available publicly for transparency and audit purposes. This record need be no more than a very brief …
Gov response: The Prime Minister stated on 29 November 2012: "Lord Justice Leveson makes a number of recommendations that are designed to break the perception of an excessively cosy relationship between the press and the police and …
Accepted
L75 — Discontinue Off-the-record Term
Recommendation: The term 'off-the-record briefing' should be discontinued. The term 'non-reportable briefing' should be used to cover a background briefing which is not to be reported, and the term 'embargoed briefing' should be used to cover a situation where the content …
Gov response: The Prime Minister stated on 29 November 2012: "Lord Justice Leveson makes a number of recommendations that are designed to break the perception of an excessively cosy relationship between the press and the police and …
Accepted
DM-8 — Guidance on disclosing material to journalists
Recommendation: Guidance should be issued by the Metropolitan Police to enable officers to determine whether it is appropriate, necessary and lawful to disclose investigative material to journalists. That guidance should include a requirement to record by whom, to whom and when …
Gov response: The College of Policing's counter-corruption APP already outlines categories of inappropriate associations that should be recorded and what notifiable association policies should look like for police forces. This includes that any associations with private investigators …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
DM-7 — CPS guidance on disclosure for profit
Recommendation: It is recommended that the Crown Prosecution Service's additional guidance should be amended to include a requirement that the Prosecutor should consider whether the information was disclosed with a view to one or both parties securing future profit from the …
Gov response: The CPS has updated its guidance and this was published on 16 February 2022. The guidance sets out a list of non-exhaustive factors to be considered when assessing the overall criminality of a suspect, including …
Accepted
DM-6 — Guidance on unlawful disclosure recovery options
Recommendation: It is recommended that the Metropolitan Police establish a process to inform police officers about the recovery options available to them when material is unlawfully disclosed.
Gov response: The MPS has now produced new bespoke detailed guidance for officers and staff when dealing with a data breach, along with the recovery options available for these circumstances or when leaked material is discovered on …
Accepted
MACP-10 — Disclose investigating officers' reports to complainants, subject only to substantial harm test
Recommendation: That Investigating Officers' reports resulting from public complaints should not attract Public Interest Immunity as a class. They should be disclosed to complainants, subject only to the "substantial harm" test for withholding disclosure.
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