The Police (Efficiency) Regulations 1999

Postponement or adjournment of an inefficiency hearing

15.—(1) If the member concerned intimates to the chairman that he will be unable to attend the inefficiency hearing, or in the absence of such intimation does not attend the hearing, and the chairman is satisfied that a good reason for such non-attendance is given by, or on behalf of, the member concerned, he shall postpone, or as the case may be adjourn, the hearing.

(2) The chairman may also adjourn the inefficiency hearing if, having given the member concerned the opportunity of making representations under regulation 14(7), he considers it appropriate to allow a further period for assessment of the performance of the member concerned.

(3) Where the chairman adjourns the inefficiency hearing for the purposes of paragraph (2), he shall—

(a) specify a period (not exceeding 3 months) during which the reporting officer and the countersigning officer shall assess the performance of the member concerned;

(b) fix a date on which the hearing shall resume; and

(c) require the member concerned to attend on that date at a specified place.

(4) Not later than 14 days after the date on which the period for further assessment specified by the chairman under paragraph (3)(a) ends—

(a) the reporting officer and the countersigning officer shall prepare a report containing their assessment of the performance of the member concerned during that period; and

(b) the countersigning officer shall send the report to the chairman of the inefficiency hearing and a copy of the report to the member concerned.

(5) At the continuation of the inefficiency hearing the chairman shall afford the member concerned an opportunity to make representations in relation to the matters referred to in the report mentioned in paragraph (4) and to call any witnesses in respect of whom notice was given under regulation 13(2).

(6) Where at the time the report mentioned in paragraph (4) is sent under paragraph (4)(b) the chairman of the inefficiency hearing is absent, incapacitated or suspended from duty and it is likely that his absence, incapacity or suspension will continue for a period of more than 28 days, the chief officer of police shall arrange for another member of a police force, being a person who would have been eligible for appointment as chairman of the inefficiency hearing under regulation 14(1) and (2) in relation to the hearing in question, to carry out in relation to the member concerned the functions of the chairman of the inefficiency hearing specified in paragraph (5) and in regulations 16 and 17.

(7) The chairman of an inefficiency hearing may adjourn the hearing to a specified later time or date if it appears to him necessary or expedient to do so.