Policy paper

SIA policy on publishing details of active criminal investigations and prosecutions

Published 21 November 2024

© Crown copyright 2024

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/publishing-details-of-sia-criminal-investigations-and-prosecutions/sia-policy-on-publishing-details-of-active-criminal-investigations-and-prosecutions

1. Publishing details of active criminal investigations

We will only publish information about active investigations if one or both of the following points apply:

  • we believe it is in the public interest to do so
  • the subject of our investigation has already made it public

Publishing information will be in the public interest when any of the following apply:

  • it reduces a threat to public safety
  • the public could help our investigation, for example by identifying a witness or victim
  • the matter is in the public domain, and publishing information will clarify the facts

2. Publishing details of active prosecutions

We will publish a list of the people and companies we are prosecuting.

We will do this to:

  • show the public, individual licence holders, and private security businesses that we act to enforce the law
  • attract more intelligence on the people and companies we are prosecuting
  • alert buyers of security services to the companies we are prosecuting

We will publicise successful prosecutions through the press and social media. This is so we can be open about what we are doing and deter others from breaking the law.

We will only publish information about a prosecution after the first appearance at court.

3. Where we will publish the information

We will publish the information on GOV.UK.

We will have 2 pages:

  • ‘Active SIA investigations’ (when required)
  • ‘Active SIA prosecution cases’

Our active prosecutions page will also include a list of warrants. This will show the people we intend to prosecute but who have not shown up for their trial, so the court has issued a warrant for their arrest.

4. The information we will include

4.1 Active investigations

We will publish:

  • the name of the person or company
  • our reasons for making the investigation public

4.2 Active prosecutions

We will publish:

  • the name of the person or company
  • the charges
  • the court
  • the next court date

5. Updating and removing information

5.1 Active investigations

We will move the information to ‘active prosecutions’ if a criminal investigation results in a prosecution.

Where we conclude our investigation and decide not to prosecute, we will remove the information within 6 working days.

5.2 Active prosecutions

We will update this information once a month, unless we are made aware of an error in what we have published. If this happens, we will correct the error within 6 working days. Information that was correct at time of publication but has since changed does not qualify as information published in error.

We will remove the information within 8 working days if:

  • the case is withdrawn
  • the person or company is found not guilty

We will move the information to our completed prosecutions page if the person or company is found guilty. This information will remain online no longer than 12 months from the date of the verdict.

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