The Ministry of Defence Police (Conduct, Performance and Appeals Tribunals) Regulations 2020

Notice of referral to misconduct proceedingsU.K.

This section has no associated Explanatory Memorandum

29.—(1) Where a case is referred to misconduct proceedings, the relevant authority must as soon as practicable give the officer concerned—

(a)written notice of—

(i)the referral,

(ii)the conduct that is the subject matter of the case and how that conduct is alleged to amount to misconduct or gross misconduct, as the case may be,

(iii)the name of the person [F1who is] to conduct (in the case of a misconduct meeting for an officer other than a senior officer) or chair (in any other case) the misconduct proceedings F2...,

(iv)the effect of paragraphs (3) to (6) of this regulation,

(v)the effect of regulations 7(1) to (3) in relation to the form of misconduct proceedings to which the case is being referred,

(vi)where relevant, the fact that—

(aa)the Director General has made a decision under regulation 24(1) to present the case, or

(bb)the Ombudsman is required under regulation 24(6) to present the case, and

(vii)where relevant, the fact that the case has been referred to joint misconduct proceedings under regulation 25,

(b)a copy of any statement the officer may have made to the investigator during the course of the investigation, and

(c)subject to the harm test, a copy of—

(i)the investigator’s report or such parts of that report as relate to the officer (together with any document attached to or referred to in that report which relates to the officer), and

(ii)any other document which might reasonably be considered capable of undermining or assisting the case.

[F3(1A) Where the chief constable delegates the responsibility for chairing the misconduct hearing to another person under regulation 2(4A), the chief constable must, as soon as practicable after delegating the responsibility, give the officer concerned written notice of the name of that person and the effect of paragraphs (3) to (6) of this regulation.]

(2) As soon as practicable after any person has been appointed under regulation 7(6) to advise the person [F4or panel conducting the misconduct meeting], the relevant authority must give the officer concerned written notice of the name of that person and of the effect of paragraphs (3) to (6) of this regulation.

[F5(2A) As soon as practicable after a legally qualified person has been appointed under regulation 27(5B) in relation to the misconduct hearing, the relevant authority must give the officer concerned written notice of the name of that person and the effect of paragraphs (3) to (6) of this regulation.]

(3) The officer concerned may object to any person whom the officer is notified under the preceding provisions of this regulation is to—

(a)conduct or, as the case may be, chair the misconduct proceedings, F6...

(b)advise the person conducting or, as the case may be, chairing the misconduct [F7meeting,] [F8or

(c)be the legally qualified person appointed under regulation 27(5B) in relation to the misconduct hearing.]

[F9(4) Any such objection must—

(a)be made in writing to—

(i)the Secretary of State, where the person to whom the objection is made is to a person they appointed,

(ii)the chief constable, where the objection is to the chief constable chairing a misconduct hearing under regulation 27(4)(a) or to a person to whom the responsibility for chairing a misconduct hearing has been delegated under regulation 2(4A), or

(iii)the relevant authority in all other cases,

(b)set out the grounds of objection, and

(c)in the case of joint misconduct proceedings, be copied to each other officer concerned,

before the end of 3 working days beginning with the first working day after the officer is given notice of the person’s name.]

[F10(5) The chief constable, the Secretary of State, or the relevant authority must notify the officer concerned in writing as soon as reasonably practicable whether they or it upholds or rejects an objection to the person conducting or, as the case may be, chairing the misconduct proceedings or to any person appointed under regulation 7(6) to advise the person conducting or chairing the misconduct meeting, or the legally qualified person appointed under regulation 27(5B).]

(6) If the [F11chief constable, the Secretary of State, or the] relevant authority upholds the objection, the person to whom the officer concerned objects must be replaced (in accordance with [F12paragraph (6A) or (6C), regulation 2(4A), ] regulation 7(6) and (7) or 27 as appropriate).

[F13(6A) Where—

(a)the chair of the misconduct hearing is the chief constable, and

(b)an objection is upheld against them,

the chief constable must delegate the responsibility for chairing the misconduct hearing to another person in accordance with regulation 2(4B).

(6B) The delegation referred to in paragraph (6A) is to be treated as having been done under regulation 2(4A).

(6C) Where—

(a)the chair of the misconduct proceedings has been appointed by the Secretary of State under regulation 27(5A), and

(b)an objection is upheld against them,

the Secretary of State must require the Chief Inspector of Constabulary to chair the misconduct proceedings or to nominate an inspector of constabulary to replace the chair appointed under regulation 27(5A), and appoint that person as the chair.]

(7) As soon as reasonably practicable after any such appointment [F14or delegation], the relevant authority must give a written notice to the officer concerned of the name of the new person [F15who is] to conduct or, as the case may be, chair the misconduct proceedings [F16, the new legally qualified person appointed under regulation 27(5B)] or of the new adviser to the person conducting or chairing the misconduct [F17meeting], and of the effect of paragraphs (8) and (9) of this regulation.

(8) The officer concerned may object to [F18a person who, in accordance with paragraph (6), replaces a person in respect of whom an objection has been upheld].

(9) In relation to an objection under paragraph (8) of this regulation—

(a)paragraph (4) applies except in so far as it specifies the period of time for making an objection,

(b)the objection must be made before the end of 3 working days beginning with the first working day after the officer concerned has been given the notice referred to in paragraph (7),

(c)paragraphs (5) to (7) apply, with the exception of the requirement in paragraph (7) for the relevant authority to give written notice of the effects of paragraphs (8) and (9).

(10) Where the Director General has made a decision under regulation 24(1) to present a case, or the Ombudsman is required under regulation 24(6) to present a case, the relevant authority must—

(a)consult the Director General, or the Ombudsman, as the case may be, about—

(i)the contents of the written notice to be given under paragraph (1)(a) to the extent to which they relate to the conduct that is the subject matter of the case and how that conduct is alleged to amount to misconduct or gross misconduct, as the case may be,

(ii)the application of the harm test under paragraph (1)(c), and

(iii)the documents that may be provided under paragraph (1)(c)(ii),

(b)comply with any direction given by the Director General or the Ombudsman in relation to the matters specified in sub-paragraph (a), and

(c)provide the Director General or the Ombudsman with a copy of the written notices given under paragraphs (1) and (2).

Textual Amendments

Commencement Information

I1Sch. 1 reg. 29 in force at 2.11.2020, see reg. 1