News

On July 10, 2025, the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner hosted an engaging and thoughtful workshop with a group of vulnerable adults and team members of COSLA and SOLD network (a partnership between People First Scotland and the Association for Real Change...

Welcome to the June 2025 newsletter for the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Since our last newsletter I have laid two assurance reports this year. The subject of the reports are DNA and Retrospective Facial Search.

The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow has today welcomed the appointment of Francesca Whitelaw KC as the interim Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales. The role of the Biometrics Commissioner for England and Wales has been vacant since August...

On 21 May the Commissioner delivered the twenty third Jack Urquhart Memorial Lecture at the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents Annual Conference.

In this short blog, I set out the reasons why I would support the future use of live facial recognition by Police Scotland primarily to protect women, girls, and children from male violence and additionally for other proportionate law enforcement...

Our Operation Manager Diego Quiroz has written a piece for the 1919 magazine. The article is based on the recent SBC retrospective image search report , which shines a spotlight on the ethical, legal, and societal challenges of using modern...

Commissioner welcomes the appointment of Fiona McQueen CBE as Chair of Scottish Police Authority

Public attitudes to police use of biometric data Our key findings and the original data from Scottish Police Authority

The SBC Commissioner was invited to give evidence to the NI Committee for Justice in relation to the NI Justice Bill 2024 which will introduce a new biometrics retention regime for the PSNI and the appointment of a Biometrics Commissioner...

The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow has today written to the Principal of the University of Dundee raising concerns about the potential closure of the world-leading Leverhulme Institute of Forensic Science.

On 20 February the Commissioner gave evidence to the SPCB Supported Bodies Landscape Review Committee. The Commissioner attended the Parliament to answer questions following an earlier written submission provided in January.

The Scottish Biometrics Commissioner Dr Brian Plastow has accepted an invitation from the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents (ASPS) to deliver the annual Jack Urquhart Memorial Lecture at the ASPS conference in May. The theme for the conference is ‘policing...