Super Complaints are complaints made by designated bodies about aspect of policing in England and Wales. For Home Department police forces, the National Crime Agency and the big three Non Home Department Police Forces (NHDPF) Super Compaints are dealt with under Regulations made by the Secretary of State. The inclusion of these NHDPF is an example of where Parliament has decided that some such forces should be treated as if they were police forces for a particular purpose. In this case s 29A Police Reform Act 2002 brings BTP, MDP and CNC into the scope of the Super Complaint process.
Super Complaints are dealt with (at least intially) by His Majesty's Chief Inspector Of Constabulary (HMCIC). They are first assessed and if necessary investigated. Other than the big three other NHDF are not covered by these provisions.
The Service Police are not holders of the office of constable - they are members of HM Forces working in specialist units, viz: the Royal Military Police, The Royal Navy Police, RAF Police and the Defence Serious Crime Command. However the Service Police (Complaints etc) Regulations 2023 also allows for Super Complaints in respect of the service police.
The Centre for Military Justice is a designated body for the purposes of the Regulations. In August 2025 they submitted a Super Complaint to HMCIC relating to how the Service Police access the work emails and browser histories of victims employed in the armed forces. On 31 October 2025 HMCIC announced that having assessed the complaint it is thought necessary for it to be investigated. No timescale has been given for its investigation.
This complaint relates to the Ministry of Defence and HM Forces. But its findings will be of interest to all police forces but espcially to forces such as MDP and those NHDPF that have direct access to employees IT accounts.
Details of this complaint can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/super-complaint-on-service-police-access-to-victims-work-emails-and-internet-browser-history
Nov 2026
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