Police Reform Act 2002

Conduct of persons in other forms of police service

25NCIS and NCS

(1)For subsection (1) of section 39 of the 1997 Act (complaints about members of NCIS) there shall be substituted—

“(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a)the handling of complaints about the conduct of members of NCIS;

(b)the recording of matters from which it appears there may have been misconduct by members of NCIS; and

(c)the investigation of such complaints and matters.”

(2)In subsection (2) of that section—

(a)for “shall” there shall be substituted “may”; and

(b)for paragraph (c) there shall be substituted—

“(c)for applying, with such modifications as he may think fit, any provision made by or under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30) (complaints and misconduct).”

(3)After that subsection there shall be inserted—

“(2ZA)Regulations under subsection (1) may provide—

(a)for obligations under the regulations to be framed by reference to the opinions of such persons as may be specified in the regulations; and

(b)for it to be the duty of any person on whom functions are conferred by the regulations to have regard, in the carrying out of those functions, to any guidance given by such persons and in such manner as may be so specified.”

(4)Subsection (3) of that section (guidance by the Secretary of State after consultation with the Scottish Ministers) shall cease to have effect.

(5)For subsections (1) to (3) of section 83 of that Act (complaints about members of NCS and guidance by the Secretary of State) there shall be substituted—

“(1)The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about—

(a)the handling of complaints about the conduct of members of National Crime Squad;

(b)the recording of matters from which it appears there may have been misconduct by members of the National Crime Squad; and

(c)the investigation of such complaints and matters.

(2)Regulations under this section may make such provision as the Secretary of State thinks desirable for applying, with such modifications as he thinks fit, any provision made by or under Part 2 of the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30) (complaints and misconduct).

(2A)Regulations under this section may provide—

(a)for obligations under the regulations to be framed by reference to the opinions of such persons as may be specified in the regulations; and

(b)for it to be the duty of any person on whom functions are conferred by the regulations to have regard, in the carrying out of those functions, to any guidance given by such persons and in such manner as may be so specified.”

26Forces maintained otherwise than by police authorities

(1)Notwithstanding any provision made by or under any enactment passed or made before this Act—

(a)the Commission, and

(b)an authority other than a police authority which maintains a body of constables,

shall each have power to enter into an agreement with the other for the establishment and maintenance in relation to that body of constables of procedures corresponding or similar to any of those provided for by or under this Part.

(2)If it appears to the Secretary of State appropriate to do so in relation to any body of constables maintained otherwise than by a police authority to establish any such corresponding or similar procedures, he may by order—

(a)provide for the establishment and maintenance of such procedures in relation to that body of constables; and

(b)in a case in which procedures in relation to that body of constables have effect by virtue of subsection (9) or have previously been established by virtue of this section—

(i)provide for those procedures to be superseded by the provision made by the order; and

(ii)make transitional provision in connection with the replacement of the superseded procedures.

(3)It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to secure that procedures are established and maintained under subsection (2) in relation to each of the following—

(a)the Ministry of Defence Police; and

(b)the British Transport Police Force.

(4)An agreement under this section shall not be made, varied or terminated except with the approval of the Secretary of State.

(5)An agreement or order under this section in relation to any body of constables may contain provision for enabling the Commission to bring and conduct, or otherwise participate or intervene in, any proceedings which are identified by the agreement or order as disciplinary proceedings in relation to members of that body of constables.

(6)An agreement or order under this section in relation to any body of constables may provide for the application of procedures in relation to persons who are not themselves constables but are employed for the purposes of that body of constables and in relation to the conduct of such persons, as well as in relation to members of that body of constables and their conduct.

(7)Before making an order under this section the Secretary of State shall consult with both—

(a)the Commission; and

(b)the authority maintaining the body of constables to whom the order relates.

(8)Procedures established in accordance with any agreement or order under this section shall have no effect in relation to anything done outside England and Wales by any constable or any person employed for the purposes of a body of constables.

(9)Where, immediately before the coming into force of this section, any procedures have effect in relation to any body of constables by virtue of—

(a)section 78 of the 1996 Act (which made provisions similar to that made by this section), or

(b)paragraph 13 of Schedule 8 to that Act (transitional provisions),

those procedures shall continue to have effect thereafter (notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of Chapter 1 of Part 4 of the 1996 Act and of that paragraph) until superseded by procedures established by virtue of any agreement or order under this section.

(10)Subsection (9) has effect subject to the provisions of any order made under section 28.

27Conduct of the Commission’s staff

(1)The Secretary of State shall by regulations make provision for the manner in which the following cases are to be handled or dealt with—

(a)cases in which allegations of misconduct are made against members of the Commission’s staff; and

(b)cases in which there is otherwise an indication that there may have been misconduct by a member of the Commission’s staff.

(2)Regulations under this section may apply, with such modifications as the Secretary of State thinks fit, any provision made by or under this Part.

(3)Regulations under this section may provide for it to be the duty of any person on whom functions are conferred by the regulations to have regard, in the carrying out of those functions, to any guidance given by such persons and in such manner as may be specified in the regulations.

(4)Before making any regulations under this section the Secretary of State shall consult with the Commission.