10. Public interest immunity, closed material procedures, and disclosure

Abstract

This chapter, which deals with public interest immunity (PII) and disclosure in criminal and civil cases, first explains exclusion of evidence on the grounds of the PII doctrine in relation to the public interest in non-disclosure of documents. It then considers disclosure in criminal proceedings under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2003) and the Criminal Procedure Rules 2014 as well as disclosure in civil proceedings under the Civil Procedure Rules. The chapter also examines areas of public interest that are covered by possible PII claims, including national security, defence and foreign policy, protection of children, the identity of police informers, and confidential records held by public bodies. It concludes with an outline of the Closed Material Procedures (CMPs).