The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2008

PART 2 General

Application

5.  These Regulations apply where an allegation comes to the attention of an appropriate authority which indicates that the conduct of a police officer may amount to misconduct or gross misconduct.

Police Friend

6.—(1) The officer concerned may choose—

(a) a police officer;

(b) a police staff member; or

(c) where the officer concerned is a member of a police force, a person nominated by his staff association,

who is not otherwise involved in the matter, to act as his police friend.

(2) A police friend may—

(a) advise the officer concerned throughout the proceedings under these Regulations;

(b) unless the officer concerned has the right to be legally represented and chooses to be so represented, represent the officer concerned at the misconduct proceedings or special case hearing or appeal meeting;

(c) make representations to the appropriate authority concerning any aspect of the proceedings under these Regulations; and

(d) accompany the officer concerned to any interview, meeting or hearing which forms part of any proceedings under these Regulations.

(3) Where a police friend is a police officer or a police staff member, the chief officer of police of the force of which the police friend is a member shall permit him to use a reasonable amount of duty time for the purposes referred to in paragraph (2).

(4) The reference in paragraph (3) to the force of which the police friend is a member shall include a reference to the force maintained for the police area for which a special constable is appointed and the force in which a police staff member is serving.

Legal and other representation

7.—(1) The officer concerned has the right to be legally represented, by a relevant lawyer of his choice, at a misconduct hearing or a special case hearing.

(2) If the officer concerned chooses not to be legally represented at such a hearing he may be dismissed or receive any other outcome under regulation 35 or 55 without his being so represented.

(3) Except in a case where the officer concerned has the right to be legally represented and chooses to be so represented, he may be represented at misconduct proceedings or a special case hearing or an appeal meeting only by a police friend.

(4) The appropriate authority may be represented at misconduct proceedings or a special case hearing or an appeal meeting by—

(a) a police officer or police staff member of the police force concerned; or

(b) at a misconduct hearing or a special case hearing only, a relevant lawyer (whether or not the officer concerned chooses to be legally represented).

(5) Subject to paragraph (6), the appropriate authority may appoint a person to advise the person or persons conducting the misconduct proceedings or special case hearing or appeal meeting.

(6) At a misconduct meeting or an appeal meeting, the person appointed under paragraph (5) shall not be a relevant lawyer.

Provision of notices or documents

8.  Where any written notice or document is to be given or supplied to the officer concerned under these Regulations, it shall be—

(a) given to him in person;

(b) left with some person at, or sent by recorded delivery to, his last known address; or

(c) in respect of a written notice under regulation 15(1), given to him in person by his police friend where the police friend has agreed with the appropriate authority to deliver the notice.

Outstanding or possible criminal proceedings

9.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, proceedings under these Regulations shall proceed without delay.

(2) Before referring a case to misconduct proceedings or a special case hearing, the appropriate authority shall decide whether misconduct proceedings or special case proceedings would prejudice any criminal proceedings.

(3) For any period during which the appropriate authority considers any misconduct proceedings or special case proceedings would prejudice any criminal proceedings, no such misconduct or special case proceedings shall take place.

(4) Where a witness who is or may be a witness in any criminal proceedings is to be or may be asked to attend misconduct proceedings, the appropriate authority shall consult the relevant prosecutor (and when doing so must inform him of the names and addresses of all such witnesses) before making its decision under paragraph (2).

(5) For the purposes of this regulation “relevant prosecutor” means the Director of Public Prosecutions or any other person who has or is likely to have responsibility for the criminal proceedings.

Suspension

10.—(1) The appropriate authority may, subject to the provisions of this regulation, suspend the officer concerned from his office as constable and (in the case of a member of a police force) from membership of the force.

(2) An officer concerned who is suspended under this regulation remains a police officer for the purposes of these Regulations.

(3) A suspension under this regulation shall be with pay.

(4) The appropriate authority shall not suspend a police officer under this regulation unless the following conditions (“the suspension conditions”) are satisfied—

(a) having considered temporary redeployment to alternative duties or an alternative location as an alternative to suspension, the appropriate authority has determined that such redeployment is not appropriate in all the circumstances of the case; and

(b) it appears to the appropriate authority that either—

(i) the effective investigation of the case may be prejudiced unless the officer concerned is so suspended; or

(ii) having regard to the nature of the allegation and any other relevant considerations, the public interest requires that he should be so suspended.

(5) The appropriate authority may exercise the power to suspend the officer concerned under this regulation at any time from the date on which these Regulations first apply to the officer concerned in accordance with regulation 5 until—

(a) it is decided that the conduct of the officer concerned shall not be referred to misconduct proceedings or a special case hearing; or

(b) such proceedings have concluded.

(6) The appropriate authority may suspend the officer concerned with effect from the date and time of notification which shall be given either—

(a) in writing with a summary of the reasons; or

(b) orally, in which case the appropriate authority shall confirm the suspension in writing with a summary of the reasons before the end of 3 working days beginning with the first working day after the suspension.

(7) The officer concerned (or his police friend) may make representations against his suspension to the appropriate authority—

(a) before the end of 7 working days beginning with the first working day after his being suspended;

(b) at any time during the suspension if he reasonably believes that circumstances relevant to the suspension conditions have changed.

(8) The appropriate authority shall review the suspension conditions—

(a) on receipt of any representations under paragraph (7)(a);

(b) if there has been no previous review, before the end of 4 weeks beginning with the first working day after the suspension;

(c) in any other case—

(i) on being notified that circumstances relevant to the suspension conditions may have changed (whether by means of representations made under paragraph (7)(b) or otherwise); or

(ii) before the end of 4 weeks beginning with the day after the previous review.

(9) Where, following a review under paragraph (8), the suspension conditions remain satisfied and the appropriate authority decides the suspension should continue, it shall, before the end of 3 working days beginning with the day after the review, so notify the officer concerned in writing with a summary of the reasons.

(10) Subject to paragraph (12), where the officer concerned is suspended under this regulation, he shall remain so suspended until whichever of the following occurs first—

(a) the suspension conditions are no longer satisfied;

(b) either of the events mentioned in paragraph (5)(a) and, subject to paragraph (11), (5)(b).

(11) Where an officer concerned who is suspended is dismissed with notice under regulation 35 he shall remain suspended until the end of the notice period.

(12) In a case to which paragraph 17, 18 or 19 of Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act (investigations) applies, the appropriate authority must consult with the Commission—

(a) in deciding whether or not to suspend the officer concerned under this regulation; and

(b) before a suspension under this regulation is brought to an end by virtue of paragraph (10)(a).