The Undercover Policing Inquiry – 11 years on

Claire Palmer reminds us that some public inquiries achieve faster results than others

Eleven years on from its official set up date in July 2015, the Undercover Policing Inquiry is only part way through its hearing of the evidence. In June and July 2026, the Inquiry conducted Tranche 3 Phase 3 hearings, hearing evidence in respect of the period up to 2007. It will not be lost on readers that that is some 20 years ago.

It was announced in 2025 that the Chair, Sir John Mitting, will stand down at the end of completing the SDS evidence and having produced his reports on those elements of the Inquiry. So far, the Inquiry has only published one report: an Interim Tranche 1 report in respect of the period 1968 to 1982. The second Interim report is anticipated in Autumn 2027 and will complete the Inquiry’s investigations into the SDS.

The Inquiry had divided its work into 3 modules and tranches. What remains in Module 2 is Tranche 4 (NPOIU: 1999-2011) and Tranche 5 (all other undercover policing from 1968 to date). Module 3 is to deal with current and future undercover policing practices.

A new Chair is expected to be appointed in due course, although no announcement has yet been made, and to take the Inquiry through to its conclusion.

It appears that the Home Office may have recognised the challenges as, on 16 July 2026, they launched a consultation on what is the most appropriate, proportionate and effective way forward to deal with Tranche 4 and 5 of Module 1 and Module 2. The announcement states:

“This is therefore an opportune moment to reflect on whether the inquiry as currently structured remains the most effective means of achieving its aims or whether alternative approaches might better secure accountability, learning and reform within a reasonable timeframe.”

Respondents to the consultation are encouraged to focus on how the Inquiry’s remaining objectives can best be achieved. A report of the consultation and the government’s response will be published in Autumn 2026.

Even by 2015, the approach to undercover policing had changed considerably from the relevant period with many lessons already arguably learned. Any Inquiry that seeks to investigate events over a period of 50 years was always going to be a challenge and perhaps one which is impossible to achieve. Seeking to run a public Inquiry into such a sensitive topic has added significantly to the work required and time taken.

However, with the pace of progress to date, it may be thought that any value the Inquiry can add to this area of policing reduces ever further and there is a risk of decreasing relevance. Reports of the hearings in the mainstream media are now extremely limited. The speed of progress has led to already fading memories being further impacted, with many officers no longer well enough to give evidence, and a number who have sadly died. On reflection, a more targeted and proportionate approach may have yielded a swifter conclusion for all those affected by the issues.

Many will be watching with interest as to the outcome of the consultation.