- a designation
means a designation under section 39.
- accredited inspector
means a weights and measures inspector in relation to whom an accreditation under section 41A is for the time being in force;
- accredited person
means a person in relation to whom an accreditation under section 41 is for the time being in force;
- acting chief officer
means a person exercising or performing functions of a chief constable in accordance with section 41 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011;
- additional police body
means—
- Agency complaints function
means a function in relation to the exercise of functions by officers of the Agency;
- an appeals tribunal
means a tribunal constituted in accordance with regulations under subsection (3) above.”
- an inspection report
means a report under section 54 of the Police Act 1996 (c. 16), section 33 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 (c. 77) or section 41 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (c. 32). 21 Nothing in this section or in section 30 prevents the Secretary of State in the case of the same inspection report from exercising (whether in relation to the same matter or different matters or at the same time or at different times) both his powers under this section and his powers under that section.”
- anti-social behaviour
means—
- appropriate authority
has the meaning given by section 29E(3);
- approved representative
means a person who has been approved by the Director General for the purposes of this Part.
- authorised person
means any person specified or described in regulations made by the Secretary of State.
- British Transport Police Force
has the same meaning as in section 2 above;
- chief officer
means the chief officer of police of any police force;
- civilian employee
has the meaning given by section 23I of the Police Act 1996;
- community safety functions
means any functions the carrying out of which would be facilitated by the ability to exercise one or more of the powers mentioned in Schedule 5;
- complaint
has the meaning given by section 12;
- conduct
includes acts, omissions, statements and decisions (whether actual, alleged or inferred);
- conduct forming part of the Troubles
has the same meaning as in the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023 (see section 1 of that Act).
- conduct matter
has the meaning given by section 12;
- contractor
means a person who has entered into a contract with a local policing body or a chief officer to provide services to a chief officer.
- controlled drug
has the same meaning as in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
- CSO
means a person designated by a chief officer of police as a community support officer under section 38;
- CSV
means a person designated by a chief officer of police as a community support volunteer under section 38;
- data protection legislation
has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3 of that Act).
- death or serious injury matter
(or “DSI matter” for short) means (subject to section 28A and any regulations made under it) any circumstances (other than those which are or have been the subject of a complaint or which amount to a conduct matter)—
- designated body
means a body designated in regulations made by the Secretary of State.
- designated person
has the same meaning as in paragraph 19ZE.
- disciplinary proceedings
means— (a) in relation to a member of a police force or a special constable, proceedings under any regulations made by virtue of section 50 or 51 of the 1996 Act and identified as disciplinary proceedings by those regulations;
- document
means anything in which information of any description is recorded;
- driving
has the same meaning as in the Road Traffic Act 1988 (c. 52);
- enforcement officer
means a person appointed by the Secretary of State under section 90 of the Employment Rights Act 2025.
- England and Wales
includes the adjacent United Kingdom waters within the meaning of section 30 of the Police Act 1996, • “police force” means any of the following— (a) the metropolitan police force, (b) a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996 (police forces in England and Wales outside London), (c) the National Crime Agency, (d) the City of London police force, (e) the Ministry of Defence Police, (f) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, (g) the British Transport Police.
- equipment
includes— a vehicles;
- financial year
means the period of twelve months ending with 31st March;
- fire authority
means— (a) any fire authority constituted by a combination scheme under the Fire Services Act 1947 (c. 41);
- general direction
means a direction under section 38 establishing performance targets for all police authorities to which section 37 applies.”
- government department
means a department of Her Majesty's Government but does not include— (a) the Security Service, (b) the Secret Intelligence Service, or (c) the Government Communications Headquarters (“GCHQ”);
- gross misconduct
means a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour that is so serious as to justify dismissal;
- health care professional
means a person (other than a medical practitioner) who is— a a registered nurse;
- ICRIR
means the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery;
- information
includes estimates and projections, and statistical analyses;
- intelligence service information
means information that was obtained (directly or indirectly) from or that relates to— (a) the Security Service, (b) the Secret Intelligence Service, (c) GCHQ, or (d) any part of Her Majesty's forces, or of the Ministry of Defence, which engages in intelligence activities;
- international joint investigation team
means any investigation team formed in accordance with— a any framework decision on joint investigation teams adopted under Article 34 of the Treaty on European Union;
- legislation
means any provision of—
- local authorities
means district councils, London borough councils, county councils in Wales, county borough councils and the Common Council of the City of London;
- local authority
means—
- Minister of the Crown
includes the Treasury;
- misconduct
means a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour;
- modifications
includes omissions, alterations and additions, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.
- motor vehicle
means any mechanically propelled vehicle, whether or not it is intended or adapted for use on roads;
- paragraph 18 investigator
has the meaning given by subsection (2);
- park trading offence
means an offence committed in a specified park which is a park trading offence for the purposes of the Royal Parks (Trading) Act 2000.
- police authority
means— (a) any police authority established under section 3 of the Police Act 1996 (c. 16);
- police force
means any of the following— (a) the metropolitan police force, (b) a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996 (police forces in England and Wales outside London), (c) the National Crime Agency, (d) the City of London police force, (e) the Ministry of Defence Police, (f) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, (g) the British Transport Police.
- police medical practitioner
means a medical practitioner who is engaged under any agreement to provide medical services for purposes connected with the activities of a police force.”
- police volunteer
means a person who is under the direction and control of the chief officer making a designation under subsection (1A) otherwise than because the person is a constable, a special constable or a relevant employee.
- pre-commencement matter
means a matter which—
- premises
has the same meaning as in the 1984 Act (see section 23 of that Act).
- prescribed
means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State;
- public sector fraud complaints function
means a function in relation to the exercise of functions conferred by section 7 of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025;
- public sector fraud investigator
means an authorised investigator within the meaning given by section 7 of that Act.
- public sector fraud investigators
means authorised investigators within the meaning given by section 7 of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025.
- recordable conduct matter
means (subject to any regulations under section 23(2)(d))— (a) a conduct matter that is required to be recorded by the appropriate authority under paragraph 10, 11 or 13A of Schedule 3 or has been so recorded;
- registered health care professional
means a person (other than a medical practitioner) who is— a a registered nurse;
- relative
means a person of a description prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State.
- relevant authority
means— (a) in the case of intelligence service information obtained (directly or indirectly) from or relating to the Security Service, the Director-General of the Security Service;
- relevant body
means—
- Relevant complaint
means—
- relevant complaints function
means a function in relation to the exercise of functions by enforcement officers.
- relevant employee
means—
- relevant force
means— (a) any police force for a police area in Great Britain;
- relevant licensing offence
means an offence under any of the following provisions of the Licensing Act 2003—
- relevant offence
means any of the following offences—
- relevant police collaboration provision
means provision, contained in a collaboration agreement under section 22A of the Police Act 1996, which is of the kind referred to in section 23AA of that Act.
- relevant premises
means premises used for any purpose of the Ministry of Defence Police.”
- Relevant transitional provision
means article 2, 3 or 4 of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (Transitional Provisions) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/671).
- relevant victim
means a person— (a) whom the Director General treats as a victim in relation to an alleged criminal offence constituted by conduct— (a) of the person mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b), and (b) to which the report relates, and (b) to whom the Director General considers it appropriate to give the opportunity mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(a).
- relevant warrant
means— (a) a warrant under Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, or (b) a warrant under Chapter 1 of Part 6 of that Act.
- review
means a review applied for under paragraph 6A(2) or 25(1B).
- seconded constables
means persons serving as members of the Office's staff without being employed by it.
- serious injury
means a fracture, a deep cut, a deep laceration or an injury causing damage to an internal organ or the impairment of any bodily function;
- Serving officer
means a person who—
- specified park
has the same meaning as in section 162 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
- suspected terrorist detainee
means a detainee detained under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
- the 1984 Act
means the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c. 60);
- the 1996 Act
means the Police Act 1996 (c. 16);
- the 1997 Act
means the Police Act 1997 (c. 50);
- the Commissioner
means the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and “the Deputy Commissioner” means the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. 4C In this section a reference to the police authority concerned, in relation to a chief constable, is to the police authority which maintains the police force of which he is chief constable.”
- the data protection legislation
has the same meaning as in the Data Protection Act 2018 (see section 3 of that Act);
- the Deputy Commissioner
means the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. 4C In this section a reference to the police authority concerned, in relation to a chief constable, is to the police authority which maintains the police force of which he is chief constable.”
- the Director General
means (unless otherwise specified) the Director General of the Office;
- the inspectors of constabulary
means Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Constabulary appointed under section 54 of the Police Act 1996 (c. 16);
- the Office
means the Independent Office for Police Conduct;
- the permitted disclosure purposes
has the same meaning as in section 29J.
- the permitted non-disclosure purposes
has the same meaning as in section 29I;
- the person in question
means the person expressing dissatisfaction or the person on whose behalf dissatisfaction is being expressed.
- the relevant officer
means— a in relation to a member of a police force or a special constable appointed for a police area, the chief officer of police;
- the relevant period
means the period that the Director General considers to give a relevant victim a reasonable opportunity to request that the Director General reviews their proposed determination;
- the Scottish inspectors
means the inspectors of constabulary appointed under section 33 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 (c. 77). 4C 1 Subject to subsection (2) below, the Secretary of State shall arrange for any report received by him under section 4B above to be published in such manner as appears to him to be appropriate. 2 The Secretary of State may exclude from publication under subsection (1) above any part of a report if, in his opinion, the publication of that part— a would be against the interests of national security;
- the Standards of Professional Behaviour
means the standards so described in, and established by, regulations made by the Secretary of State.
- third force
means any police force other than the force to which the person carrying out the investigation belongs.
- United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary
has the same meaning as in section 2 above.”
- United Kingdom waters
means the sea and other waters within the seaward limits of the United Kingdom’s territorial sea.
- vehicle or trailer carrying a load of exceptional dimensions
means a vehicle or trailer the use of which is authorised by an order made by the Secretary of State under section 44(1)(d) of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
- weights and measures inspector
means an inspector of weights and measures appointed under section 72(1) of the Weights and Measures Act 1985.
- whistle-blower
has the meaning given by section 29D(3).