The Fingerprint Inquiry

The Fingerprint Inquiry, chaired by Sir Anthony Campbell, was established in June 2009 and reported in December 2011. The inquiry made nine recommendations concerning fingerprint identification services in Scotland. On 15 December 2011, the day after publication, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced that the Scottish Government accepted all nine recommendations. MacAskill expressed confidence that the recommendations would enhance fingerprint services, and indicated that the Scottish Police Services Authority would draw up an action plan to implement improvements before integration into the new Police Scotland in 2013.

Despite this initial acceptance, the available public record contains no evidence of progress on any of the nine recommendations. No progress updates have been recorded, no implementation reviews have been documented, and no legislation has been identified as resulting from the inquiry. The government's response noted that an action plan would be developed by the Scottish Police Services Authority, but no subsequent information about this plan or its execution appears in the available evidence.

The absence of documented progress is notable given that more than a decade has passed since the inquiry reported. While the Scottish Government's immediate acceptance of all recommendations suggested commitment to reform, the lack of any recorded follow-up activity means it is not possible to determine from the available evidence whether any of the inquiry's recommendations have been acted upon. This pattern of accepting recommendations without documented follow-through raises questions about the effectiveness of the inquiry process in achieving its intended reforms to Scotland's fingerprint identification services.