Police Act 1996

Appointment of members by relevant councils

2 (1) In the case of a police authority in relation to which there is only one relevant council, the members of the police authority referred to in paragraph 1(1)(a) or (2)(a) shall be appointed by that council.

(2) In any other case, those members shall be appointed by a joint committee consisting of persons appointed by the relevant councils from among their own members.

3 The number of members of the joint committee, and the number of those members to be appointed by each relevant council, shall be such as the councils may agree or, in the absence of agreement, as may be determined by the Secretary of State.

4 (1) A council or joint committee shall exercise its power to appoint members of a police authority under paragraph 2 so as to ensure that, so far as practicable, the members for whose appointment it is responsible reflect—

(a) in the case of appointments by a council, the balance of parties for the time being prevailing among the members of the council, and

(b) in the case of appointments by a joint committee, the balance of parties for the time being prevailing among the members of the relevant councils taken as a whole.

(2) The members referred to in sub-paragraph (1)(a) and (b) do not include any member of a relevant council who is disqualified for being appointed as or being a member of the police authority under paragraph 12.