Police Reform Act 2002

26 Forces maintained otherwise than by police authorities

(1) Notwithstanding any provision made by or under any enactment passed or made before this Act—

(a) the Commission, and

(b) an authority other than a police authority which maintains a body of constables,

shall each have power to enter into an agreement with the other for the establishment and maintenance in relation to that body of constables of procedures corresponding or similar to any of those provided for by or under this Part.

(2) If it appears to the Secretary of State appropriate to do so in relation to any body of constables maintained otherwise than by a police authority to establish any such corresponding or similar procedures, he may by order—

(a) provide for the establishment and maintenance of such procedures in relation to that body of constables; and

(b) in a case in which procedures in relation to that body of constables have effect by virtue of subsection (9) or have previously been established by virtue of this section—

(i) provide for those procedures to be superseded by the provision made by the order; and

(ii) make transitional provision in connection with the replacement of the superseded procedures.

(3) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to secure that procedures are established and maintained under subsection (2) in relation to each of the following—

(a) the Ministry of Defence Police; and

(b) the British Transport Police Force.

(4) An agreement under this section shall not be made, varied or terminated except with the approval of the Secretary of State.

(5) An agreement or order under this section in relation to any body of constables may contain provision for enabling the Commission to bring and conduct, or otherwise participate or intervene in, any proceedings which are identified by the agreement or order as disciplinary proceedings in relation to members of that body of constables.

(6) An agreement or order under this section in relation to any body of constables may provide for the application of procedures in relation to persons who are not themselves constables but are employed for the purposes of that body of constables and in relation to the conduct of such persons, as well as in relation to members of that body of constables and their conduct.

(7) Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall consult with both—

(a) the Commission; and

(b) the authority maintaining the body of constables to whom the order relates.

(8) Procedures established in accordance with any agreement or order under this section shall have no effect in relation to anything done outside England and Wales by any constable or any person employed for the purposes of a body of constables.

(9) Where, immediately before the coming into force of this section, any procedures have effect in relation to any body of constables by virtue of—

(a) section 78 of the 1996 Act (which made provisions similar to that made by this section), or

(b) paragraph 13 of Schedule 8 to that Act (transitional provisions),

those procedures shall continue to have effect thereafter (notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the 1996 Act and of that paragraph) until superseded by procedures established by virtue of any agreement or order under this section.

(10) Subsection (9) has effect subject to the provisions of any order made under section 28.