Police Appeals Tribunals

Forthcoming Police Appeals Tribunals

To be held at the OSPCC offices, with information about how and when they are held.

Following recent reforms, disciplinary matters involving police officers and special constables are governed by Police (Conduct) Regulations 2024.

Details of upcoming hearings will be published with at least five days’ notice on the Sussex Police website. The regulations state that police gross misconduct hearings must be held in public and must be conducted by a panel of three people including:

Chaired by the Chief Constable (or delegated to an Assistant Chief Constable)
two Independent Panel Members (IPMs) appointed by the local policing body (the OSPCC)

The OSPCC's existing Legally Qualified Chairs (LQCs) will continue to chair any backlog of cases being heard under 2020 regulations. For cases being heard under 2024 regulations, the Legally Qualified Person (LQP) is there as an advisor only. In this respect, LQCs will adopt the role of LQP.

Sussex currently has a list of 21 LQCs/LQPs available to sit on gross misconduct hearings. These appointments have been made on a regional basis, over three tranches, in partnership with the PCCs from Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Thames Valley. Appointments to gross misconduct hearings in Sussex are selected from this list by the OSPCC, using a rota system to ensure fairness.

The OSPCC is responsible for the recruitment and training of the LQPs and the independent panel members (IPMs). LQPs and IPMs are people who have no relationship with Sussex Police. IPMs assist the Chair in determining a fair and evidence-based judgment about a particular police officer's conduct and agreeing an appropriate sanction. LQPs do not sit in a decision-making capacity. Their role is to advise the panel on legal and procedural issues relating to the misconduct proceedings

Sussex Police are responsible for organising the hearings, with most held at Sussex Police Headquarters. More information can be found by accessing the following link:

Sussex Police website.

Police Appeals Tribunals (PATs) hear appeals against the findings of gross misconduct brought by police officers or special constables. PATs are currently governed by Police Appeals Tribunal Rules 2020.

Members of the public can attend appeal hearings as observers but are not allowed to participate in proceedings. The tribunal proceedings take place at the Office of the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner (OSPCC) in Lewes. Places are limited and will need to be booked in advance, preferably at least 48 hours before the hearing. To comply with the rules of attendance, observers are required to provide their name, email address and contact telephone number. If you would like to register to attend, please visit the booking to attend page.

Where the appellant is not a senior officer, the tribunal consists of:

a legally qualified chair taken from a list maintained by the Home Office
a serving senior officer
a layperson.

Where the appellant is a senior officer, the tribunal consists of:

a legally qualified chair taken from a list maintained by the Home Office
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary or an Inspector of Constabulary nominated by the Chief Inspector
the Permanent Secretary to the Home Office or a Home Office Director nominated by the Permanent Secretary.

The Chair is appointed by the OSPCC from a list maintained by the Home Office.

Independent members may be drawn from the OSPCC list of IPMs to serve as laypeople on PATs. No independent member will be appointed to a tribunal if they have already heard the same case at a misconduct hearing. Under the 2020 PAT rules, a layperson member replaces the retired officer position on the tribunal.

Places are limited and will need to be booked in advance, preferably at least 48 hours before the hearing. Details of how to do this will be published with each hearing date. To comply with the rules of attendance, observers are required to provide the following when booking:

name
email address
contact telephone number

To book a place at a forthcoming hearing please email: pcc@sussex-pcc.gov.uk

Full details of the conditions of entry to Police Appeal Tribunals can be read here: Conditions of Entry – PATs

Upcoming Appeals:

12 May 2025 - Police Sergeant James

15 May 2025 - Former Police Sergeant Tritton

Police Appeals Tribunals

Forthcoming Police Appeals Tribunals

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