Police Trainee (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Appointment as a police trainee

2.—(1) In regulation 2 of the trainee regulations, after the provision defining “police force in Great Britain” and “public holiday” insert—

“ “police recruitment agent” means the agent appointed under section 43 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000;”.

(2) After regulation 2 of the trainee regulations insert—

“PART IA Appointment as a police trainee

Qualifications for appointment as a police trainee

2A.   A person shall not be appointed as a police trainee unless he—

(a) is a national of a Member State, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or has leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for an indefinite period;

(b) has attained the age of 18 years; and

(c) demonstrates by such tests or assessments as may be determined by the Chief Constable or carried out by the police recruitment agent in accordance with arrangements prescribed under section 44(3)(c) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000 that—

(i) he is sufficiently competent in written and spoken English, and

(ii) he possesses such other skills as may be necessary to carry out the duties of a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Fitness for appointment as a police trainee

2B.— (1) This regulation applies for the purposes of determining if a person is physically and mentally fitted for appointment as a police trainee.

(2) A person is not fitted for appointment unless he is certified, by a registered medical practitioner approved by the Chief Constable, to be fitted both physically and mentally to perform the duties of a member of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Suitability for appointment as a police trainee

2C.— (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (5), the Chief Constable may determine the matters which may be taken into account in deciding the suitability of a person for appointment as a police trainee.

(2) A person is unsuitable for appointment as a police trainee if he has been convicted in Northern Ireland or elsewhere of any offence, and has had passed on him a sentence of imprisonment or detention (whether suspended or not).

(3) The fact that a person—

(a) has been convicted of any offence,

(b) has breached a court order, or

(c) has received a caution as defined by section 126 of the Police Act 1997(1),

may be taken into account, in accordance with any determination made by the Chief Constable under paragraph (1), in deciding his suitability for appointment as a police trainee.

(4) A person is unsuitable for appointment as a police trainee unless he gives—

(a) such satisfactory references as to his character, and

(b) such other information as to his suitability for appointment,

as may be required in accordance with arrangements prescribed under section 44(3)(b) of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000.

(5) Save in so far as the Chief Constable may allow at the request of the person concerned, a person is unsuitable for appointment as a police trainee if—

(a) he has a business interest within the meaning of regulation 7 of the Police Service of Northern Ireland Regulations 2005, or

(b) a relative has a business interest which would interfere, or could be seen as interfering with, the impartial discharge of that person’s duties as a constable on completion of his service as a police trainee,

and for the purposes of this paragraph, “relative” shall have the same meaning in relation to a person applying for appointment as a police trainee as it has under regulation 10(8) in relation to a police trainee.”

(3) In regulation 8 of the trainee regulations (delegation of functions by Chief Constable) at the end insert—

“but nothing in this regulation shall limit the power of the Chief Constable to delegate any function conferred on him under Part IA”.

(1)

1997 c. 50.