Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

Part 2 of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 makes provision for the publication of a Code of Practice which sets out how police officers are to record, retain and reveal to the prosecutor material obtained in a criminal investigation. A previous version of the code was published in 2005.

In May 2014 the Magistrates’ Court Disclosure Review recommended a streamlined procedure in summary cases that are expected to end in a guilty plea, so that a schedule of unused material need not be served in such cases. To this end it recommended amendments to the code, some of which are incorporated in the revised code.

The revised code was laid in Parliament on 28 January 2015. The Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (Code of Practice) Order 2015 will bring it into force the day after the Order has been approved by affirmative resolution of both Houses of Parliament.

The Code, in its present unappoved form is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-procedure-and-investigations-act-code-of-practice