Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Police Emblems and Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002 and shall come into operation on 5th April 2002.

2.  In these Regulations,

“Service Emblem” means the emblem for the police prescribed under regulation 3 below;

“Service Flag” means the flag for the police prescribed under regulation 8 below.

Emblems

The Service Emblem

3.  The design of the emblem for the police is the design illustrated in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.

Use of the Service Emblem and other emblems

4.  Subject to regulations 5, 6 and 7 below, the Service Emblem is the only emblem for the police which may be used on any equipment or property used for the purposes of the police or otherwise in connection with the police.

5.  The emblem illustrated in Schedule 2 to these Regulations is the only emblem which may be used on the buttons of uniforms of police officers.

6.  Regulation 4 does not apply to:

(a)any emblem which forms part of a police memorial, or

(b)any emblem displayed at the police museum.

7.  The only emblems which may be used to signify an officer’s rank are the emblems illustrated in Schedule 3 to these Regulations.

Flags

The Service Flag

8.  The design of the flag for the police is the design illustrated in Schedule 1 to these Regulations on a dark green background.

Flying and carrying of the Service Flag and other flags

9.  Subject to regulation 10, the Service Flag is the only flag which may be flown on land or buildings used for the purposes of the police, or from a vehicle, vessel or aircraft used in connection with the police.

10.—(1) On the occasion of a visit by Her Majesty the Queen to a building used for the purposes of the police, the Royal Standard may be flown at that building.

(2) Where the building concerned has more than one flagpole, the Service Flag may also be flown, but not in a superior position to the Royal Standard.

Parades

11.  The only flag which may be carried by the police on parade is the Service Flag.

Regulation 3

SCHEDULE 1The Service Emblem

Regulation 5

SCHEDULE 2Emblem for Uniform Buttons

Regulation 7

SCHEDULE 3Insignia of Rank

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations prescribe the emblem for the police (regulation 3 and Schedule 1) and provide that that is the only emblem for the police which may be used on equipment and property (regulation 4). Exceptions are made to this general rule for the emblem which is to be used on police officers' uniform buttons (regulation 5 and Schedule 2), for emblems in a police memorial and the police museum (regulation 6) and for the purposes of signifying rank (regulation 7 and Schedule 3).

Regulation 8 prescribes the flag for the police. This is the only flag that may be flown from police buildings, except where the building is being visited by Her Majesty the Queen (regulations 9 and 10), and the only flag that may be carried on parade by the police (regulation 11).