Understanding how investigative decisions, disclosure duties, and rules of evidence play out in the courtroom is essential for every operational officer and investigator. In this focused, 60-minute webinar, policing practitioners will connect the dots between statutory CPIA disclosure, core criminal law principles, and giving clear, credible evidence under cross-examination—ensuring your investigations withstand defence scrutiny from charge through to verdict.
Why Join the Course
- Built for Operational Reality: Designed around busy policing schedules—gain practical disclosure checklists, evidential reminders, and courtroom preparation tactics in just one hour.
- Connect Casework to the Witness Box: Understand how pre-trial decisions—from recording reasonable lines of enquiry to drafting MG6 schedules—directly shape defence challenges at trial.
- Give Evidence with Confidence: Learn practical techniques for preparing for court, refreshing memory properly, addressing the bench or jury clearly, and handling robust cross-examination calmly.
- Aligned with Legal & Procedural Standards: Reinforces the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA), PACE rules of admissibility, the Attorney General’s Guidelines on Disclosure, and Criminal Procedure Rules.
Why It Matters
Even a thorough investigation can falter if evidential rules are overlooked, unused material is poorly scheduled, or an officer becomes flustered under defence cross-examination. Defence advocates routinely scrutinise disclosure compliance, continuity, and procedural fairness to cast doubt on prosecution reliability.
Mastering the interplay between disclosure, criminal law, and courtroom presentation equips officers and staff to defend their investigative integrity, present clear and objective testimony, and support fair, robust justice outcomes.
Who Should Attend
This webinar is tailored specifically for serving police officers, police staff, and investigative practitioners, including:
- Response and Neighbourhood Policing officers preparing for Magistrates’ and Crown Court trials
- Student officers, probationers, and Special Constables building foundational legal and courtroom confidence
- Trainee detectives, PIP Level 1 and PIP Level 2 investigators, and CID officers
- Disclosure Officers, police staff investigators, and Case Builders
- Sergeants and supervisory officers supporting teams with file quality, disclosure reviews, and trial preparation
Learning Objectives
By the end of this 60-minute session, attendees will be able to:
- Apply Core CPIA Disclosure Duties: Execute statutory obligations to pursue reasonable lines of enquiry and accurately schedule unused material on MG6C/MG6D/MG6E forms to withstand defence challenges.
- Navigate Key Evidential & Legal Principles: Understand how PACE admissibility rules, hearsay, bad character, and continuity requirements affect the weight of evidence at trial.
- Prepare Effectively for Court: Conduct structured pre-trial file and statement reviews, refresh memory lawfully, and liaise effectively with the CPS and Witness Care prior to giving evidence.
- Deliver Clear, Resilient Testimony: Present objective, concise evidence in the witness box and respond calmly, accurately, and professionally to defence cross-examination.
