The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Complaints and Misconduct) (Contractors) Regulations 2015

Complaints, matters and persons to which these Regulations apply

8.—(1) In these Regulations references to a complaint are references (subject to the following provisions of this regulation) to any complaint about the conduct of a contractor which is made (whether in writing or otherwise) by—

(a) a member of the public who claims to be the person in relation to whom the conduct took place;

(b) a member of the public not falling within sub-paragraph (a) who claims to have been adversely affected by the conduct;

(c) a member of the public who claims to have witnessed the conduct;

(d) a person acting on behalf of a person falling within any of sub-paragraphs (a) to (c).

(2) References in these Regulations, in relation to anything which is or purports to be a complaint, to the complainant are references—

(a) except in the case of anything which is or purports to be a complaint falling within paragraph (1)(d), to the person by whom the complaint or purported complaint was made; and

(b) in that case, to the person on whose behalf the complaint or purported complaint was made,

but where any person is acting on another’s behalf for the purposes of any complaint or purported complaint, anything that is to be or may be done under these Regulations or in relation to the complainant may be done instead by or in relation to the person acting on the complainant’s behalf.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), references in these Regulations, in relation to any conduct or anything purporting to be a complaint about any conduct, to a member of the public include references to a contractor (whether at the time of the conduct or at any subsequent time).

(4) In these Regulations, in relation to any conduct or to anything purporting to be a complaint about any conduct, to a member of the public do not include references to—

(a) a person who, at the time when the conduct is supposed to have taken place, was under the direction and control of the same chief officer as the person whose conduct it was; or

(b) a person who—

(i) at the time when the conduct is supposed to have taken place, in relation to him, or

(ii) at the time when he is supposed to have been adversely affected by it, or to have witnessed it,

was on duty in his capacity as a contractor.

(5) For the purposes of these Regulations, a person is adversely affected if that person suffers any form of loss or damage, distress or inconvenience, if the person is put in danger or is otherwise unduly put at risk of being adversely affected.

(6) In these Regulations “conduct matter” means (subject to the following provisions of this regulation) any matter which is not and has not been the subject of a complaint but in the case of which there is an indication (whether from the circumstances or otherwise) that a contractor may have—

(a) committed a criminal offence; or

(b) behaved in a manner which would justify the bringing of disciplinary proceedings.

(7) In these Regulations “death or serious injury matter” (or “DSI matter” for short) means any circumstances (other than those which are or have been the subject of a complaint or which amount to a conduct matter)—

(a) in or in consequence of which a person has died or has sustained serious injury; and

(b) in relation to which the requirements of either paragraph (8) or (9) are satisfied.

(8) The requirements of this paragraph are that at the time of the death or serious injury the person—

(a) had been arrested by a contractor and had not been released from that arrest; or

(b) was otherwise detained in the custody of a contractor.

(9) The requirements of this paragraph are that—

(a) at or before the time of the death or serious injury the person had contact (of whatever kind, and whether direct or indirect) with a contractor who was acting in the execution of that person’s duties; and

(b) there is an indication that the contact may have caused (whether directly or indirectly) or contributed to the death or serious injury.

(10) In paragraph (7) the reference to a person includes a contractor, but in relation to such a person “contact” in paragraph (9) does not include contact that the person has whilst acting in the execution of that person’s duties.

(11) The complaints that are complaints for the purposes of these Regulations by virtue of paragraph (1)(b) do not, except in a case falling within paragraph (12), include any made by or on behalf of a person who claims to have been adversely affected as a consequence only of having seen or heard the conduct, or any of the alleged effects of the conduct.

(12) A case falls within this paragraph if—

(a) it was only because the person in question was physically present, or sufficiently nearby, when the conduct took place or the effects occurred that the person was able to see or hear the conduct or its effects; or

(b) the adverse effect is attributable to, or was aggravated by, the fact that the person in relation to whom the conduct took place was already known to the person claiming to have suffered the adverse effect.

(13) For the purposes of this regulation a person shall be taken to have witnessed conduct if, and only if—

(a) the person’s knowledge of that conduct was acquired in a manner which would make that person a competent witness capable of giving admissible evidence of that conduct in criminal proceedings; or

(b) the person has possession or control of anything which would in any such proceedings constitute admissible evidence of that conduct.

(14) For the purposes of these Regulations a person falling within paragraph 1(a) to (c) shall not be taken to have authorised another person to act on that person’s behalf unless—

(a) the person so acting is for the time being designated for the purposes of this regulation by the Commission as a person through whom complaints may be made, or is of a description of persons so designated; or

(b) the person so acting has been given, and is able to produce, the written consent of the person on whose behalf the person is taking action.