Police Reform Act 2002

32 Suspension of senior officers

(1) In section 9E of the 1996 Act (removal of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis), after subsection (2) there shall be inserted—

“(2A) The Metropolitan Police Authority, acting with the approval of the Secretary of State, may suspend the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis from duty if—

(a) it is proposing to consider whether to exercise its power under subsection (1) to call upon the Commissioner to retire or to resign and is satisfied that, in the light of the proposal, the maintenance of public confidence in the metropolitan police force requires the suspension; or

(b) having been notified by the Secretary of State that he is proposing to consider whether to require the Authority to exercise that power, it is satisfied that, in the light of the Secretary of State’s proposal, the maintenance of public confidence in that force requires the suspension; or

(c) it has exercised that power or been sent under section 42(2A) a copy of a notice of the Secretary of State’s intention to require it to exercise that power, but the retirement or resignation has not yet taken effect;

and it shall be the duty of the Metropolitan Police Authority (without reference to the preceding provisions of this subsection) to suspend the Commissioner from duty if it is required to do so by the Secretary of State under section 42(1A).”

(2) In section 11 of that Act (appointment and removal of chief constables), after subsection (3) there shall be inserted—

“(3A) A police authority maintaining a police force under section 2, acting with the approval of the Secretary of State, may suspend from duty the chief constable of that force if—

(a) it is proposing to consider whether to exercise its power under subsection (2) to call upon the chief constable to retire or to resign and is satisfied that, in the light of the proposal, the maintenance of public confidence in that force requires the suspension; or

(b) having been notified by the Secretary of State that he is proposing to consider whether to require the police authority to exercise that power, it is satisfied that, in the light of the Secretary of State’s proposal, the maintenance of public confidence in that force requires the suspension; or

(c) it has exercised that power or been sent under section 42(2A) a copy of a notice of the Secretary of State’s intention to require it to exercise that power, but the retirement or resignation has not yet taken effect;

and it shall be the duty of a police authority maintaining such a force (without reference to the preceding provisions of this subsection) to suspend the chief constable of that force from duty if it is required to do so by the Secretary of State under section 42(1A).”

(3) In each of sections 9F(3), 9FA(3) and 9G(3) of that Act (application of sections 9E(1) to (3) in the case of Assistant Commissioners, Deputy Assistant Commissioners and Commanders), at the end there shall be inserted “but with the omission in subsection (2A)—

(a) of paragraph (b);

(b) in paragraph (c), of the words from “or been sent” to “exercise that power”; and

(c) of the words after paragraph (c).”

(4) In section 11A(3) of that Act (application of section 11(2) to (4) in the case of deputy chief constables), at the end there shall be inserted “but with the omission in subsection (3A)—

(a) of paragraph (b);

(b) in paragraph (c), of the words from “or been sent” to “exercise that power”; and

(c) of the words after paragraph (c).”

(5) In section 12(3) of that Act (application of section 11(2), (3) and (4) in the case of assistant chief constables)—

(a) for “, (3) and” there shall be substituted “to”; and

(b) at the end there shall be inserted “but with the omission in subsection (3A) —

(a) of paragraph (b);

(b) in paragraph (c), of the words from “or been sent” to “exercise that power”; and

(c) of the words after paragraph (c).”