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© Copyright, Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Detention 2026.

Our name is changing but not our role

Published:
Category:
Cross cutting

The Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody will become the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Detention (IAPDD).

This follows recent changes to the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Custody: with a new smaller membership and the creation of a new Expert Stakeholder Group (ESG), it has changed its name to the Ministerial Board on Deaths in Detention.

As with the Board, the Panel intends this name change to more accurately reflect the breadth of remit. This includes not only deaths in prisons, Young Offender Institutions, Approved Premises, and police custody, but also immigration detention and detention under the Mental Health Act.

The independence, role, and work of the Panel is not changing. The IAPDD will continue to provide independent advice and scrutiny, while working closely with the ESG to ensure its work is informed by a wide range of expertise, experience and perspectives.

Panel Chair Wendy Sinclair-Gieben commented, “Joining as IAPDD Chair at a time of significant change has given me a valuable opportunity to engage with a wide range of stakeholders and hear their perspectives on the future of our work. While some of the structures and names are changing, our purpose remains the same: to support learning, strengthen accountability and help prevent future deaths in detention. Every preventable death is a tragedy, and we must continue to do all we can to protect life.”