Proposed amendment to the Police Complaints Authority Act

"Police have noted the Government’s intention to amend the secrecy provisions of the Police Complaints Authority Act 1988 and look forward to seeing the Select Committee’s report," says Assistant Commissioner Howard Broad.

The proposed amendment would see files generated by Police on behalf of the PCA provided to the Commission of Inquiry into Police conduct.

At present, secrecy provisions within the Police Complaints Authority’s governing statute (section 32) prevent the Commission of Inquiry from accessing some material relevant to its review of Police investigations conducted on behalf of the PCA.

"The proposed amendment will be further reviewed by Police to assess its impact, and any comment we have will be provided through the normal channels," says Assistant Commissioner Broad.

"In keeping with our intention to co-operate fully with the Commission of Inquiry and the need for openness and transparency, we understand that the Commission’s activities should not be hampered by an inability to access material which the Commission considers vital to its operation."

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