diff --git a/scripts/ci/check_compliance.py b/scripts/ci/check_compliance.py
index c096cb5f4ca..8dd4fc5db12 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/check_compliance.py
+++ b/scripts/ci/check_compliance.py
@@ -212,16 +212,29 @@ class CheckPatch(ComplianceTest):
         if not os.path.exists(checkpatch):
             self.skip(f'{checkpatch} not found')
 
+        # check for Perl installation on Windows
+        if os.name == 'nt':
+            if not shutil.which('perl'):
+                self.failure("Perl not installed - required for checkpatch.pl. Please install Perl or add to PATH.")
+                return
+            else:
+                cmd = ['perl', checkpatch]
+
+        # Linux and MacOS
+        else:
+            cmd = [checkpatch]
+
+        cmd.extend(['--mailback', '--no-tree', '-'])
         diff = subprocess.Popen(('git', 'diff', '--no-ext-diff', COMMIT_RANGE),
                                 stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                                 cwd=GIT_TOP)
         try:
-            subprocess.run((checkpatch, '--mailback', '--no-tree', '-'),
+            subprocess.run(cmd,
                            check=True,
                            stdin=diff.stdout,
                            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
                            stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-                           shell=True, cwd=GIT_TOP)
+                           shell=False, cwd=GIT_TOP)
 
         except subprocess.CalledProcessError as ex:
             output = ex.output.decode("utf-8")