Update on the Government Response to Part One of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences

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.