These regulations give effect to recommendations of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland in its report “A New Beginning: Policing in Northern Ireland” (the “Patten” Report) published on 9th September 1999. The Patten Report recommended that those appointed to be police constables should have to complete their initial training successfully before acquiring all the powers, duties and privileges of a police officer.

Section 36(3) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 gives effect to this recommendation. It requires a person to serve as a police trainee before he or she can be appointed to the rank of constable in the Police Service of Northern Ireland. These regulations make provision about the government, administration and conditions of service of police trainees.

Regulation 3 prescribes the length of the period which police trainees must serve, and the other conditions with which police trainees must comply, before they can be appointed as constables.

Regulations 4 and 5 make further provision about the length of period of service of police trainees and about their training.

Regulation 6 makes provision for the termination of the period of service of a police trainee by the Chief Constable (on the grounds set out in paragraph (1)) or by the police trainee (under paragraph (2)).

Regulation 7 confers power on the Chief Constable to make standing orders about the training of police trainees.

Regulation 8 allows the Chief Constable to delegate certain functions under the regulations.

Regulation 9 makes provision about the restrictions which are, or may be, imposed on the private lives of police trainees.

Regulation 10 makes provision about business interests which may be incompatible with a person remaining a police trainee.

Regulations 11 to 15 make provision about the leave entitlement of police trainees.

Regulations 16 to 28 and Schedules 1 and 2 make provision about the pay, pensions and allowances of police trainees.