Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006

41 Appropriate authority in relation to a complaint

(1) For the purposes of sections 34 to 40, the appropriate authority in relation to a complaint is—

(a) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a police authority, the authority;

(b) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a joint police board, the board;

(c) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a police force, the chief constable of the force;

(d) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of the Authority, the Authority;

(e) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of the Agency, the Director General of the Agency;

(f) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a person at a time when the person was a constable of a police force—

(i) where the person was of a senior rank, the maintaining authority in relation to the force;

(ii) where the person was not of such rank, the chief constable of the force;

(g) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a person at a time when the person was employed or appointed by virtue of section 9 of the 1967 Act by a police authority or a joint police board, the authority or board;

(h) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a person at a time when the person was a member of staff of the Authority, the Authority;

(i) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a person at a time when the person was the Director General of the Agency, the Authority;

(j) where the complaint is in respect of an act or omission of a person at a time when the person was the Deputy Director General, a police member or a support staff member of the Agency, the Director General of the Agency.

(2) The reference in subsection (1)(f) to a constable of a police force does not include a constable who is seconded to the Authority under paragraph 10(2) of schedule 1.

(3) In subsection (1)(f)(i), “senior rank” means a rank above chief superintendent.

(4) For the purpose of subsection (1)(f)(i), the maintaining authority in relation to a police force is—

(a) where the force is for an area which is not combined by virtue of an amalgamation scheme under the 1967 Act, the police authority for that area;

(b) where the force is for an area consisting of police areas combined by virtue of such a scheme, the joint police board constituted under the scheme.

(5) Despite paragraphs 7(3)(b) and (5)(a) and 8(3) of schedule 2, the reference in subsection (1)(h) to a member of staff of the Authority does not include a police member of the Agency or a support staff member of the Agency.