The Police (Conduct, Performance and Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

Published: Wed 7th May 25

The Police (Conduct, Performance and Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 amend existing UK police regulations.

Key changes include updating probationary service rules for special constables, clarifying gross misconduct definitions, modifying notification and document provision procedures to allow for electronic communication, and streamlining performance review processes.

The amendments also incorporate the Police (Vetting) Regulations 2025 and introduce transitional provisions to manage the transition to the new regulations.

Arguments For

Improved Efficiency and Streamlining: The amendments aim to simplify and streamline processes related to police conduct, performance, and complaints, leading to quicker resolutions and reduced administrative burden. This could increase efficiency within law enforcement.
Enhanced Fairness and Transparency: Changes seek to enhance procedural fairness for police officers by providing clearer guidelines, processes, and timeframes for various stages of investigations and hearings. More transparent procedures foster public trust.
Modernized Communication Methods: Allowing electronic communication provides a more efficient and contemporary method of handling documents and notices, enabling speedier communication between parties involved in investigations and proceedings.
Legal Basis and Historical Context: The regulations are made under powers conferred by various existing Police Acts, reflecting a continuous legislative effort to update and improve police governance and accountability in line with evolving standards and technology updates.

Arguments Against

Unintended Consequences: Changes to complex procedural regulations could produce unintended consequences that might negatively impact the accuracy, thoroughness, or fairness of investigations and proceedings. Careful monitoring is needed to mitigate any unanticipated issues.
Implementation Challenges: Training police personnel, legal advisors, and other relevant stakeholders on new procedures is essential for successful implementation. Lack of adequate training could lead to inconsistencies and potential errors in applications.
Resource Implications: The implementation of new procedures could require additional resources, potentially straining already constrained budgets within police forces and related administrative bodies.
Potential for Increased Appeals: Amendments might increase the number of appeals through changes to processes and thresholds for different actions, thereby potentially increasing the workloads of appeal tribunals and related authorities.

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 50(1), (2)(c), (e) and (f), (3), (3A), (4) and (7), 51(1), (2)(ba) and (c), (2A), (2B), (3A) and (4) and 85(3) of the Police Act 19961, section 23(1) and (2) of the Police Reform Act 20022 and section 29(7) of the Policing and Crime Act 20173.In accordance with sections 50(2ZC) and 51(2ZD) of the Police Act 19964, and in so far as these Regulations relate to matters specified in those sections, the text of these Regulations has been approved by the College of Policing.In accordance with section 63(3)(a) of the Police Act 19965, the Secretary of State has supplied the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales with a draft of these Regulations and has taken into consideration the representations made by that Board before making these Regulations.In accordance with section 24 of the Police Reform Act 20026, the Secretary of State has consulted with the Office, the Director General7, such persons as appear to the Secretary of State to represent the views of police and crime commissioners, the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, the Common Council, the National Police Chiefs’ Council8 and such other persons as the Secretary of State thinks fit.

The Secretary of State created these regulations using powers granted by several Acts (Police Act 1996, Police Reform Act 2002, and Policing and Crime Act 2017).

The College of Policing approved the text.

The Secretary of State consulted with the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, police and crime commissioners, and others before enacting these regulations.

Part 1Introductory provisions

Citation, commencement and extent1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the Police (Conduct, Performance and Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 28th May 2025.

(2)

These Regulations extend to England and Wales.

This part introduces the regulations.

Section 1 provides the regulations' official title and states their effective date (May 28, 2025).

It also specifies that the regulations apply to England and Wales.

Part 2Amendment of the Police Regulations 2003

Amendment of the Police Regulations 20032.

The Police Regulations 20039 are amended in accordance with regulations 3 and 4.

Amendment to regulation 12 (probationary service)3.

In regulation 12, for paragraph (1) substitute—

“(1)
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3)—
(a)
a member of a police force other than a rejoiner member—
(i)
appointed in the rank of constable, other than such a member who transferred to the force from another police force having completed the required period of probation therein;
(ii)
in the case of a DE inspector, appointed in the rank of inspector, or
(iii)
in the case of a DE superintendent, appointed in the rank of superintendent, or
(b)
a special constable,
must be on probation for such period as the Secretary of State must determine in respect of such appointments.”.

Amendments to regulation 13 (discharge of probationer)4.

(1)

Regulation 13 is amended as follows.

(2)

In paragraph (1)—

(a)

after “constable”, in each place it occurs, insert “, special constable”;

(b)

for “become” substitute “be”.

(3)

In paragraph (3), after “constable’s” insert “, special constable’s”.

(4)

After paragraph (4) insert—

“(5)
Subject to paragraph (6), a chief officer may delegate their functions under paragraph (1) to a—
(a)
senior officer;
(b)
former senior officer, who last served as a senior officer no more than five years before the date on which any functions under this regulation are to be delegated to them, or
(c)
police staff member who, in the opinion of the chief officer, is of at least a similar level of seniority to a senior officer.
(6)
Paragraph (5) does not apply to the function of dispensing with the services of a rejoiner member who is a senior officer.
(7)
In this regulation—
(a)
“senior officer” means a member of a police force holding a rank above that of chief superintendent or who is required to perform the duties normally performed by a member of a police force holding a rank above that of chief superintendent;
(b)
“former senior officer” includes a person who, at the time they ceased to be a member of a police force, was required to perform the duties normally performed by a member of a police force holding a rank above that of chief superintendent.”.

This part amends the Police Regulations 2003.

Regulation 2 states that regulations 3 and 4 will change the 2003 regulations.

Regulation 3 extends probationary periods to include special constables.

Regulation 4 makes further adjustments to the rules about discharging probationers, including allowing chief officers to delegate those responsibilities and defining "senior officer" and "former senior officer" more precisely.