Recommendations by Tim Godwin and Adrian Fulford to the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for the Home Department – GOV.UK

It is frequently suggested that the result of the decisions in Maughan and W80 has been to assist in the important objective of reassuring the public that when police officers use unreasonable force in the discharge of their duties, a conclusion of unlawful killing at a Coroner’s Inquest or a finding of misconduct or gross misconduct in disciplinary proceedings will lead to greater police accountability and improvements in training and learning. Although we readily understand this widely-held perception, we consider it is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the processes and procedures relating to inquests and misconduct hearings. For the reasons set out below, it is our view that there are impressive mechanisms for achieving accountability, enabling lessons to be learnt and identifying relevant training irrespective of the changes or clarification brought about by the decisions in Maughan and W80. Instead, there are indications that the adverse impact on police morale, recruitment and retention following these two decisions has been significant, troubling and enduring.
— Read on www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-accountability-rapid-review/recommendations-by-tim-godwin-and-adrian-fulford-to-the-lord-chancellor-and-the-secretary-of-state-for-the-home-department–2