IPCA not truly independent and desperately needs more funding, says chairperson
Friday, 1 May 2026
The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) chairperson has admitted police involvement in watchdog investigations means it is not truly independent.
The watchdog is investigating fewer complaints independently as it struggles with resourcing, with less-serious complaints referred back to police for investigation.
IPCA chair Judge Kenneth Johnston KC told a select committee last month if the IPCA handled all complaints independently, it would “absolutely be a guarantee of independence of a stronger sort than exists at the moment”.
“If I had my way, we’d be resourced to investigate them all independently, but we just can’t.”
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When questioned by Labour MP Duncan Webb if there had been cases handled by police where investigations were infected with bias, Johnston said “certainly there are”.
He referred to the investigation into a senior police officer in 2023 who admitted to beating his children with a belt.
The officer was not charged due to insufficient admissible evidence, but was censured for serious misconduct. However, the IPCA’s findings into the investigation described the sanction as “grossly inadequate”.
Despite this, he assured that the review process was “rigorous”, and when investigations were assigned to police it was outside the district the complaint was made.
No police were connected to the case and the IPCA supervised throughout the process.
The IPCA desperately needed additional funding in this year’s Budget, with Johnston telling the committee if it did not receive at least a modest increase, it would be at risk of turning away crucial complaints.
In its latest annual report, the IPCA revealed it was investigating fewer complaints independently and had been declining an increasing number of complaints early on in the process.
This was due to the Government’s emphasis on financial responsibility, which meant fewer resources, and it had achieved this mostly through attrition.
Complaints have increased by 9% last year and its annual report noted the complexities of the complaints were increasing too.
Johnston said the IPCA would need to increase its workforce by four times to have the resourcing needed to handle all complaints.
The IPCA is effectively no longer pursuing thematic reviews ‒ broad investigation into police policy, practice, and procedure for deeper scrutiny, and possible reform ‒ due to the Government’s strong emphasis on financial responsibility.
This included an invitation for the IPCA to undertake a thematic review into police response to mental health following complaints by the Public Service Association (PSA).
The complaint, which involved mental health workers allegedly assaulted by a distressed patient and left ignored by police despite multiple calls for help, was being investigated but it declined to look into the Government’s changes.
He said while the investigation looked “serious and important”, the IPCA did not have the resources to undertake it, which he said was “concerning”.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said he acknowledged Johnston’s comments and would take them into consideration.
He could not make pre-Budget commitments.
Labour’s police spokesperson, Ginny Andersen, said recent and widespread failures at the highest levels of police showed the IPCA must be independent and hold police accountable on behalf of victims and the wider community.
“'Independent' is in the name, the Government must take this seriously in order for the IPCA to properly function.”
She said it must be funded properly, especially considering the increased powers police have been granted under the Government.
In the IPCA annual report, it was noted that police workforce growth had a direct link to the number of complaints.
Green MP Tamatha Paul said independence meant police were not marking their own work.
“It builds trust and confidence in the public to know that there is genuine recourse if Police conduct is not up to scratch,” she said.
“There have been high profile Police failings over the last few years from the [Jevon] McSkimming report, to the thousands of false breath tests, to the collection of tens of thousands of illegal photographs of innocent bystanders.”
PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said it was a cry for help from the IPCA and its underfunding put the safety of mental health workers at risk.
‘Highest level of independent oversight over police’
Following the damning report by the IPCA into the handling of the case of former high-ranking cop Jevon McSkimming, the Government revealed it has plans to set up an Inspector-General of Police as part of the IPCA.
It will be expanded to become an Inspectorate, with additional resourcing and powers to give the highest level of independent oversight over police.
Johnston said he was confident there would be no loss of resourcing through that transition, set to be in place by the end of 2027.
He said he hoped the new organisation could direct police to investigate matters it was not investigating, a power the IPCA did not have.