Scottish Biometrics Commissioner plans 8 reports, reviews by autumn 2027

Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Dr. Brian Plastow and his team will release a report on the outcomes and achievements of the regulatory regime’s previous strategic plan before the end of the summer, according to a document outlining the office’s business plan.

The Commissioner’s office is due to release a series of reports by the end of next year after announcing compliance reviews for Police Scotland’s use of biometrics and the new Strategic Plan for 2025 to 2029 near the end of last year.

A revised statutory Code of Practice on the acquisition, retention, use and destruction of biometric data for criminal justice and police purposes will arrive this autumn, and the SBC’s annual reports are planned for October.

The Business Plan for the coming year sets a goal of March 2027 for submitting the Thematic Assurance Report on forensic imaging to Scottish Parliament.

Code Compliance Assessment reports for the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), oversight and governance body the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) and Police Scotland are coming next spring.

The team consists of the Commissioner and three full-time staff, plus a senior fingerprint examiner seconded from the SPA Forensic Services for two years.

The core budget for the whole operation for 2026/27 is 562,000 pounds (approximately US$758,000).

Plastow and his team are busy, with Scotland considering primary legislation to set a legal basis for police use of live facial recognition, a move the Commissioner says should precede any deployment, as well as a broader oversight role for the SBC.

Article Topics

biometric data  |  biometrics  |  law enforcement  |  Police Scotland  |  regulation  |  Scotland  |  Scottish Biometrics Commissioner