Minister for Security (): The first report of the Independent Review of
Disclosure and Fraud Offences—Disclosure in the Digital
Age—was presented to Parliament in March 2025. Since then,
the Home Office, the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry
of Justice have worked together on a joint response to its 45
recommendations. The Government is grateful to Jonathan Fisher KC
for his thorough analysis of the criminal disclosure regime.
Building on that foundation, the Government is committed to
modernising disclosure so that it is fit for purpose in the
digital age. In particular, the Review identifies practical
opportunities to deploy technology in criminal cases to manage
digital material more effectively, reduce administrative burdens
and release police time for frontline duties. Any adoption of new
tools will be underpinned by robust safeguards and full regard
for the rights of the defence and the interests of justice.
The programme of reform is designed to strengthen the justice
system as a whole: streamlining investigations and prosecutions,
reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and improving consistency across
agencies, while maintaining fairness for all parties. Any
delivery will be taken forward in partnership with law
enforcement bodies, the Crown Prosecution Service and wider
criminal justice stakeholders to ensure that changes are
workable, proportionate and sustainable in practice.
The Government will publish its full response to the Independent
Review by 20th May 2026, aligned with wider reforms
across the criminal justice system. This response will include
careful consideration of any linkages to the recommendations made
in Part Two of Sir Brian Leveson's Independent Review of the
Criminal Courts on efficiency. Further updates will be provided
to the House in due course.
