Meanings assigned to certain expressions etc
2.—(1) The following expressions have the meaning hereby assigned to them:—
“the Act” means the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000;
“the agent” means the police recruitment agent appointed under regulation 4;
“British subject” and “Commonwealth citizen” have the meanings assigned to them by section 51 of the British Nationality Act 1981(1);
“the Independent Assessor” means a person appointed under regulation 13(1);
“independent community observers” means persons appointed under regulation 10(1);
“independent panel member” means a person nominated under regulation 12(2);
“lay assessors” means persons engaged in carrying out duties under regulation 9;
“the police” has the same meaning as in section 77 of the Act;
“Police Authority” means the Police Authority for Northern Ireland;
“police reserve trainees” means persons appointed under section 40 of the Act;
“police support staff” has the same meaning as in section 4(6) of the Act;
“police trainees” means persons appointed under section 39 of the Act;
“Policing Board” means the Northern Ireland Policing Board;
“Promotion Regulations” means the regulations relating to qualifications and selection for promotion for the time being in force;
“the Report of the Independent Commission” means the report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland (“A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland” published on 9th September 1999);
“Road Traffic Orders” has the meaning assigned by Article 2 (2) of the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996(2);
“staff of the Police Authority” means a person appointed under subsection (1), persons employed under subsection (3), or persons engaged in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (4) of section 3 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998;
“staff of the Policing Board” means persons employed or engaged in pursuance of arrangements under paragraph 13 of Schedule 1 to the Act.
(2) A qualified candidate means an applicant for appointment to the police:—
(a)who is a British subject, a Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland;
(b)who has attained the age of 18 years and is not over 52 years if a candidate for appointment as a police trainee;
(c)who has been certified by a registered medical practitioner approved by the Chief Constable to be in good health, of sound constitution and fitted both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a police officer;
(d)who gives such information as may be required by the Chief Constable or in accordance with regulation 7 as to the candidate’s suitability for appointment to the police including satisfactory references as to his character;
(e)who is not ineligible for appointment by virtue of regulation 8(1) of the Royal Ulster Constabulary Regulations 1996(3) or Schedule 1 (criminal convictions etc);
(f)who demonstrates by such tests or assessments as may be determined by the Chief Constable or carried out in accordance with regulation 8 that he possesses the skill and competencies required to carry out the duties of a police officer;
(g)whom the panel established under regulation 12 decides is suitable for appointment as a police trainee or police reserve trainee; and
(h)who, if a candidate for appointment to the rank of sergeant or inspector, is qualified for promotion to such rank in accordance with the Promotion Regulations.