The Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020

Legal and other representation

19.—(1) The appellant has the right to be represented at a hearing by a relevant lawyer or a police friend.

(2) Where the appellant is represented at the hearing by a relevant lawyer, the appellant may also be accompanied at the hearing by a police friend.

(3) If an appellant chooses not to be represented, the hearing may take place and the appeal may be determined without the appellant being represented.

(4) The respondent has the right to be represented at a hearing by—

(a) a relevant lawyer;

(b) an officer of the relevant police force;

(c) the chief executive of the relevant local policing body, or

(d) another officer or employee of the relevant local policing body.

(5) Where a police friend is a police officer or a police staff member, the chief officer of police of the force of which the police friend is a member must permit the police friend to use a reasonable amount of duty time for the purposes referred to in this rule.

(6) The reference in paragraph (5) to the force of which the police friend is a member includes a reference to the force maintained for the police area for which a special constable is appointed and the force in which a police staff member is serving.

(7) Paragraph (4) does not apply where the Director General is presenting the case in accordance with rule 12(1).