Complaints and misconduct
The following information is based on the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 and Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2020, Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020, Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002, the Home Office Guidance on Professional Standards, Performance and Integrity in Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) guidance on handling police complaints.
Please be aware that there are planned changes to these regulations being consulted on at present, this page will be updated with those changes as soon as reasonably practicable.
The regulations dealing with complaints and allegations of misconduct have been devised to ensure that these matters are dealt with in accordance with the principles of natural justice and fairness. The regulations should be implemented in that spirit in order to ensure confidence in the system.
As well as outlining the procedure that must be followed by those involved in conducting the misconduct proceedings, the regulations also set out the rights of the officer whose conduct is the subject of the proceedings. These include the right to be accompanied and represented by a “police friend” (see above) and, where appropriate, the right to legal representation.
Provisions under the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020
