One of the most common reasons for a criminal trial to fail is when the prosecution does not comply with their duty in respect of disclosure of unused material. In 2017, nine hundred and sixteen people had charges against them dropped because of such a situation – almost double the number of the previous year.

As well as the danger of guilty people being allowed to go free or the conviction of the innocent, disclosure failure can lead to damaging and costly consequences for organisations and investigators. The rules governing disclosure are complex and can be found in a range of sources – the primary one being the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 often know as CPIA.

The Sancus Disclosure of Unused Material training will ensure that investigators are equipped with the requisite knowledge to deal with the issues that are raised.

On 31st December 2020 the Attorney General introduced new guidelines on disclosure. Sancus Solutions have incorporated the guidelines into our CPIA (Disclosure) training to ensure your organisation and investigators are fully prepared and compliant. Click here to read an overview of the changes in the new guidelines.

The course is suitable for anyone who is involved in the investigation, case preparation or prosecution of criminal cases.

The course cover these main areas;

• The legal responsibilities resting on investigators and prosecutors in respect of dealing with unused material
• The roles and responsibilities of everyone involved at each stage of the process
• The requirement to record, reveal, retain and review material
• How to deal with voluminous and digital material
• How to deal with sensitive and public interest immunity material
• The new Attorney General Guidelines

The course is written and presented by former police investigators with extensive experience in being involved in undertaking disclosure of unused material. We will also explore and explain complex aspects of the disclosure of unused material process such as decisions about what material is ‘relevant’, dealing with defence statements.