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Police Act 1996

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101Interpretation

(1)Except where the context otherwise requires, in this Act—

  • chief officer of police” means—

    (a)

    in relation to a police force maintained under section 2, the chief constable,

    (b)

    in relation to the metropolitan police force, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, and

    (c)

    in relation to the City of London police force, the Commissioner of Police for the City of London ;

  • City of London police area” means the City of London as defined for the purposes of the Acts relating to the City of London police force;

  • metropolitan police district” means that district as defined in section 76 of the [1963 c. 33.] London Government Act 1963;

  • police area” means a police area provided for by section 1;

  • police authority” means—

    (a)

    in relation to a police area listed in Schedule 1, the authority established under section 3,

    (b)

    in relation to the metropolitan police district, the Secretary of State, and

    (c)

    in relation to the City of London police area, the Common Council;

  • police force” means a force maintained by a police authority;

  • police fund” means—

    (a)

    in relation to a force maintained under section 2, the fund kept by that force’s police authority under section 14,

    (b)

    in relation to the metropolitan police force, the metropolitan police fund, and

    (c)

    in relation to the City of London police force, the fund out of which the expenses of that force are paid.

(2)In this Act“police purposes”, in relation to a police area, includes the purposes of—

(a)special constables appointed for that area,

(b)police cadets undergoing training with a view to becoming members of the police force maintained for that area, and

(c)civilians employed for the purposes of that force or of any such special constables or cadets.

102Orders, rules and regulations

Any power of the Secretary of State to make orders, rules or regulations under this Act shall be exercisable by statutory instrument.

103Consequential amendments, transitional provisions, repeals, etc

(1)The enactments mentioned in Schedule 7 shall be amended as provided in that Schedule.

(2)Schedule 8 (which contains transitional and transitory provisions, savings etc.) shall have effect.

(3)The enactments mentioned in Parts I and II of Schedule 9 are repealed, and the instruments mentioned in Part III of that Schedule are revoked, to the extent specified in the third column of the Schedule.

104Commencement

(1)Except as provided by subsection (2), this Act shall come into force at the end of the period of three months beginning with the day on which it is passed.

(2)The following provisions of this Act—

  • section 50(3),

  • Part IV (including Schedules 5 and 6) other than section 88,

  • paragraphs 43, 45 and 46 of Schedule 7,

  • paragraph 12 of Schedule 8, and

  • Part II of Schedule 9,

  • shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint.

(3)An order under this section may appoint different days for different purposes or different areas.

(4)The power to make orders under this section includes power to make such transitional provisions and savings as appear to the Secretary of State to be necessary or expedient.

(5)Where an order under this section contains provisions made by virtue of subsection (4), the statutory instrument containing that order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

105Extent

(1)Except as provided by subsections (2) to (5), this Act extends to England and Wales only.

(2)The following provisions of this Act extend to Scotland (and in the case of section 99(1) to Scotland only)—

  • section 21;

  • Part III;

  • paragraph 8 of Schedule 5 (and section 66 so far as it relates to that paragraph);

  • sections 98, 99(1), 101(2), 102 and 104 to 106 and paragraphs 1 to 5, 7 and 11(1), (2) and (4) of Schedule 8 (and section 103 so far as it relates to those paragraphs).

(3)The following provisions of this Act extend to Northern Ireland (and in the case of section 99(2) to Northern Ireland only)—

  • sections 61 and 62;

  • sections 98, 99(2), 102 and 104 to 106 and paragraphs 1 to 4 of Schedule 8 (and section 103 so far as it relates to those paragraphs).

(4)Subject to subsection (5), the amendments in Schedule 7 and the repeals and revocations in Schedule 9 have the same extent as the enactments to which they refer and section 103 extends accordingly.

(5)Paragraphs 2 to 6 of Schedule 7 extend to England, Wales and Scotland only.

106Short title

This Act may be cited as the Police Act 1996.

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