Our business

Commissioner’s Foreword

My appointment as Police Investigations and Review Commissioner commenced on 1 April 2025. This date also marked 12 years since the office launched. 

During that relatively short period, PIRC has developed a robust foundation for holding policing bodies operating in Scotland to account and for supporting learning and improvement in policing.

This Business Plan for 2025-26 sets out how we will continue to deliver our strategic objectives. It outlines the steps we will take in the year ahead to ensure we provide independent scrutiny of the policing services delivered to the communities of Scotland. 

Reflecting on our progress 

Since PIRC was established, our workload has increased significantly. Between 2013-14 and 2023-24, the number of referrals for investigation rose by 232%, while the number of investigations taken forward rose by 278%. Over the same period, the number of applications for complaint handling reviews (CHRs) fell by 11% but the number of heads of complaint being assessed rose by 124%.

Despite these increases, we have met and exceeded the objectives set out in our Strategic Plan 2023-25.

We have carried out thorough and timely investigations. In 2023-24, the year for which the most recent data has been published, we assessed 99% of all referrals within five working days of receipt of relevant information, exceeding our target of 90%. We completed and reported to the referring agency 100% of Category A investigations within 90 working days of receipt of all relevant case papers. This exceeded our annual target of 80%. We completed and reported 90% of Category B and C investigations within 120 working days, again exceeding our target of 80%. 

We have carried out thorough and timely CHRs and audits. We assessed 99% of CHR applications within five working days of receipt of relevant case papers, exceeding our target of 90%. We concluded 96% of CHRs within 90 working days of receipt of relevant papers and following agreement of the heads of complaint. This exceeded our target of 80%. We also audited Police Scotland’s six-stage complaints handling process, making 10 recommendations for improvement.

We have supported, valued and invested in our staff. The level of service delivered by PIRC to members of the public and to referring agencies has been achieved through the commitment and sustained efforts of our staff. We have embedded a training strategy as part of a planned and structured approach to developing their skills. Our Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) group has worked to enhance staff knowledge and awareness of DEI, while reviewing our procedures, policies and initiatives to ensure we meet our public sector equality duty.

Additional office accommodation has enabled us to bring together all staff in the office at the same time. It has also helped us to support staff health and welfare by creating a wellbeing room offering a quiet and private space for staff who routinely deal with sensitive and emotionally demanding cases. 

We have strengthened independent investigation and oversight of complaints. We have worked with our criminal justice partners to implement the recommendations of Lady Angiolini’s review of complaints handling, investigations and misconduct issues that do 
not require legislation. We have also contributed to the Scottish Parliament’s consideration of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill, which takes forward the legislative recommendations made by Lady Angiolini. These changes will strengthen public confidence in policing oversight and in policing itself. 

We have also transformed our digital presence to increase transparency, support accessibility and improve engagement. The modernisation of our online CHR process has been invaluable. 

Looking to the future 

While the scope and volume of our work has already increased substantially since PIRC was established in 2013, we expect that trend to continue. 

In late 2024, a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal clarified the law on corroboration in two cases referred to it by the Lord Advocate. The court’s judgment has had a significant impact on our work, particularly in relation to the investigation of allegations of assault against the police. A far greater proportion of referrals now proceed to full investigation. The number of investigations initiated into allegations of assault against the police rose 239% in Quarter 4 of 2024-25, compared to the same period the previous year. 

As the volume of our work has increased, investigations have also grown more complex and protracted, particularly those directed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 will extend PIRC’s role with additional statutory duties and powers. It will also change our governance arrangements, with our Audit and Accountability Committee (AAC) being replaced by a statutory Advisory Board.

In 2025-26, we will continue to engage with and support the Sheku Bayoh Public Inquiry, ensuring that learning arising from evidence given to the Inquiry is identified and recommendations are implemented. 

We will also monitor the impact of the rollout of body worn video to operational police officers and staff across Scotland. While the availability of body worn video should enhance the evidence considered by our staff, its impact on the volume of referrals and investigations is not yet clear. 

In light of these and other challenges, PIRC is embarking on an ambitious strategic review to ensure that we continue to deliver our statutory mandate and meet the expectations of our service users, partners and stakeholders. 

The strategic review will pool the expertise of our staff to consider the challenges ahead and explore new opportunities. It will help us consider how we manage increasing demand at a time of financial constraint. It will help us continue to provide an effective and efficient service to the public while also safeguarding the wellbeing of our staff. 

The strategic review is a significant undertaking. It will be taken forward alongside the specific actions set out in this business plan.

To allow the review time to gather evidence and inform our strategic direction, we have extended our Strategic Plan 2023-25 for another year to March 2026. We will then set out new strategic objectives that will help PIRC to continue to provide effective oversight and support improvements in the policing service delivered to our communities.

I look forward to drawing upon my experience of scrutinising and supporting improvement in public services to further develop and expand PIRC’s role over the coming years and, ultimately, to strengthen public confidence in policing in Scotland.

Laura Paton, Commissioner