The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020

Appeal meeting

46.—(1) This regulation applies where the officer concerned requests a meeting in the written notice of appeal under regulation 45(3).

(2) If the person determining the appeal determines under regulation 45(14) that the notice of appeal sets out arguable grounds of appeal, they must hold an appeal meeting with the officer concerned, subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), before the end of 5 working days beginning with the first working day after that determination.

(3) The person determining the appeal may extend the time period specified in paragraph (2) where they consider that it would be in the interests of justice to do so.

(4) The person determining the appeal must specify a date and time for the appeal meeting.

(5) Where—

(a) the officer concerned or the officer’s police friend will not be available, and

(b) the officer proposes an alternative date or time which satisfies paragraph (6),

the appeal meeting must be postponed to the date or time proposed by the officer.

(6) An alternative time must—

(a) be reasonable, and

(b) fall before the end of 5 working days beginning with the first working day after the day specified by the person determining the appeal.

(7) The appropriate authority must give written notice of the date, time and place of the appeal meeting to—

(a) the officer concerned;

(b) where the Director General was entitled to attend the misconduct meeting to make representations under regulation 38(1), or to nominate a person to attend the meeting as an observer under regulation 40(6), the Director General;

(c) where the misconduct meeting arose from a complaint to which paragraph 19A of Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act (special procedure where investigation relates to a police officer or special constable) applied, the complainant, and

(d) where the misconduct meeting arose from the investigation of a conduct matter under Schedule 3 to the 2002 Act (handling of complaints and conduct matters etc.), any interested person.

(8) The appeal meeting must not be held until the person determining the appeal has received a copy of the documents under regulation 45(13).

(9) The person determining the appeal must determine the procedure at the appeal meeting and, in so far as it is set out in these Regulations, must determine it in accordance with these Regulations.

(10) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, any interested person or complainant entitled to be given notice of the appeal meeting under paragraph (7) may attend the appeal meeting as an observer.

(11) Where the officer concerned objects to the complainant or interested person being present whilst a submission is made in mitigation on the officer’s behalf, the person determining the appeal may require the complainant or interested person to withdraw while the submission is made.

(12) The person determining the appeal may impose such conditions as they see fit relating to the attendance of persons under paragraph (10) at the appeal meeting (including circumstances in which they may be excluded) in order to facilitate the proper conduct of the appeal meeting.