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Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

Please note:

All reference to 'Parts' and 'sections' are from the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025. For other versions of these Explanatory Notes, see More Resources.

  1. Introduction

  2. The Act – Background and Overview

  3. The Act – General Interpretative Matters

    1. Crown Application

    2. Interpretation

  4. The Act – Section by Section

    1. References to Acts

      1. Section 1: Meaning of “2006 Act” and “2012 Act”

    2. Ethics of the police

      1. Section 2: Code of ethics

      2. Section 3: Duty of candour

    3. Police vetting

      1. Section 4: Vetting code of practice

      2. Section 5: Procedures for vetting

    4. Police conduct

      1. Section 6: Liability of the Scottish Police Authority for unlawful conduct of the chief constable

    5. Misconduct procedures

      1. Section 7: Procedures for misconduct: functions of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

      2. Section 8: Procedures for misconduct: former constables

      3. Section 9: Scottish police advisory list and Scottish police barred list

      4. Section 10: Procedures for misconduct: senior officers

      5. Section 11: Review of policies, practices and guidance relating to misconduct

    6. Functions of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

      1. Section 12: Investigations into matters involving persons serving with the police

      2. Section 13: Complaints made by persons serving with the police

      3. Section 14: Complaint handling reviews

      4. Section 15: Call-in of relevant complaints

      5. Section 16: Review of arrangements for investigation of whistleblowing complaints

      6. Section 17: Investigations involving constables from outwith Scotland

      7. Section 18: Review of, and recommendations about, practices and policies of the police

      8. Section 19: Provision of information to the Commissioner

    7. Governance of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

      1. Section 20: Advisory board to the Commissioner

    8. Final provisions

      1. Section 21: Ancillary provision

      2. Section 22: Commencement

      3. Section 23: Short title

  5. Parliamentary History

  • Explanatory Notes Table of contents

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Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Scottish Government to explain what the Act sets out to achieve and to make the Act accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes were introduced in 1999 and accompany all Acts of the Scottish Parliament except those which result from Budget Bills.

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