The Undercover Policing Inquiry (UCPI) is a judge-led public inquiry into the scandals around political undercover policing, often referred to as the 'spycops scandal'. It was announced in 2014 by the then Home Secretary Theresa May, and was formally established under the Inquiries Act 2005 in March 2015. It is chaired by retired High Court judge Sir John Mitting, who succeeded the original Chair Sir Christopher Pitchford. As a result, the UCPI is thus sometimes referred to as the ‘Mitting Inquiry’ or ‘Pitchford Inquiry’.
The Chair is assisted by a large team which include the Solicitor to the Inquiry and the Counsel to the Inquiry.
Its remit is set out in the Terms of Reference. It is also subject to a Management Statement which sets out its relationship with the Home Office.
Since it was established, it has held multiple hearings on procedural and preliminary issues, as well as initiating investigations into the two key political undercover policing units, the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit (NPOIU). As the period investigated stretches over fifty years, the Inquiry has divided its investigations into various lengths of time, referred to as 'Tranches' and structured the topics it’s looking at into 'Modules'.
Currently, there are 144 undercover officers from the SDS and NPOIU being investigated (as well as their managers). Over 200 individuals have been granted core participant status within the Inquiry as having a direct interest in its work. Many because they were targets of the undercover units – particularly those who were deceived into relationships or subjects of miscarriages of justice.
To date (August 2024), the Inquiry has held 15 preliminary hearings and four evidential hearings. According to its own figures it has cost £88.7 million. It publishes Updates on its activities on a semi-regular basis.