About BPS

History & Mission

The British Polygraph Society was founded in 2017 as a professional membership body for polygraph examiners practising in the United Kingdom, constituted under the law of England and Wales.

Founding

The British Polygraph Society was founded in 2017 as a membership body for polygraph examiners practising in the United Kingdom. The Society is an unincorporated association established under the law of England and Wales.

Mission

The Society exists to:

  1. promote the competent and ethical practice of polygraph examination in the United Kingdom;
  2. publish a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice binding on its members;
  3. maintain a public directory of examiners who are members in good standing;
  4. promote continuing professional development among members;
  5. provide a mechanism for the receipt and determination of complaints against members; and
  6. represent the shared professional interests of its members.

The Society’s objects are set out in clause 3 of the Constitution.

Scope of the Society’s Role

The BPS is not a statutory regulator and has no role under the Offender Management Act 2007 or the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. The statutory polygraph testing regime in England and Wales is administered by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

The Society’s standards bind its members as a matter of membership contract. They do not govern persons who are not members of the Society.

Relationship with the American Polygraph Association

BPS admission requires current certification from the American Polygraph Association (APA), or a qualification recognised by the Management Committee as equivalent. The Society’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice are aligned with the APA’s published documents, adapted to the law of England and Wales.

The BPS is a distinct UK body and not an affiliate, chapter, or subsidiary of the APA.