How Long Does a
Misconduct Case Take?
Waiting is often the hardest part. Here are the time limits the regulations actually set at each stage, what the latest Home Office and IOPC figures show about real durations, how criminal cases and suspension fit in, and what you can do if your case stalls.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 30 September 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
There is no overall time limit. The regulations require updates every 4 weeks and a report to the police and crime commissioner if an investigation passes 12 months, and Home Office guidance expects most to take 6 to 12 months. In 2024/25 the median case took 210 days to finalise, or 478 days where it went to a meeting or hearing. Criminal cases often add time.
Is there a time limit on a police misconduct investigation?
No. Neither the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 nor the Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020 set a date by which an investigation must end or be dropped. What they do set is:
- A general duty of pace. Regulation 10(1): proceedings under the Conduct Regulations "must proceed without delay", subject to the rule about criminal proceedings. The regulations do not define "without delay", and we found no statutory test of what counts as undue delay.
- Fixed periods for individual steps, most in working days (Monday to Friday, excluding Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays). They are in the table below.
- A 12-month scrutiny point. If an investigation is not finished within 12 months of the allegation coming to the force's attention, the force must tell the police and crime commissioner why, with progress, planned steps and an estimated finish date, then every 6 months (reg 19). In complaint cases the report also goes to the IOPC (Complaints Regs reg 13). You must get a copy unless the harm test or a risk of prejudice applies.
Home Office statutory guidance (paragraph 7.53) sets the expectation that most investigations take 6 to 12 months, less if straightforward, and longer if particularly complex or linked to criminal investigations. It describes the 12-month letter as a chance for a case review into why it is taking so long.
The regulations mostly respond to delay with a duty to explain (to you, the commissioner or the IOPC), not with the case ending. Several stage limits can also be extended, usually "in the interests of justice" or for "exceptional circumstances". Whether a particular delay has caused unfairness is something to raise through your representative.
Stage by stage: what the rules say and what happens in practice
References are to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 unless stated. The right-hand column only contains figures from a published source; where there is none, we say so.
| Stage | Regulatory timescale | Published real-world figure |
|---|---|---|
| Referral to the IOPC (serious complaints and conduct matters) | Without delay and by the end of the day after it becomes clear the matter must be referred (Complaints Regs regs 4, 7, 9). | IOPC target: decide the form of investigation in an average of 5 working days. Reported 4.3 in 2025/26. |
| Suspension decision after arrest or interview under caution for a listed offence | Within 3 working days (8 where a chief officer must authorise not suspending), for allegations from 13 July 2026 (reg 11C). | New rule; no data yet. |
| Notice of investigation | As soon as reasonably practicable after the investigator is appointed; terms of reference within 5 working days (reg 17). | No national data published. |
| Your response | 10 working days after the terms of reference; the investigator can extend (reg 18). | Fixed by the regulations. |
| Progress updates | Within 4 weeks of the notice, then every 4 weeks (reg 17(7)). | IOPC says it updates subjects at least every 28 days. |
| Interview | Agreed date, or one set by the investigator; your alternative must be within 5 working days (reg 20). | No national data published. |
| Investigation passes 12 months | Report to the police and crime commissioner, then every 6 months, copy to you (reg 19; Complaints Regs reg 13). | 31% of cases finalised in 2024/25 took over 12 months. |
| Views on an IOPC report | The force has 28 days to give the IOPC its views, unless extended (Complaints Regs reg 27). | No national data published. |
| Case to answer decision | As soon as practicable; if not made within 15 working days of the report, you must be told why (reg 23). | No national data published. |
| Your response to the referral notice | 15 working days, extendable in exceptional circumstances (reg 31). | Fixed by the regulations. |
| Misconduct meeting | Within 20 working days of your response (or the end of the response period); extendable in the interests of justice (reg 34). | No national data published. |
| Misconduct hearing | First day no more than 100 working days after the notice of referral; extendable (reg 29). Pre-hearing within 15 working days of papers reaching the chair; hearing within 30 working days of that (reg 33). | Cases with a meeting or hearing: median 478 days end to end in 2024/25. |
| Accelerated hearing | 10 to 15 working days after the notice of referral (reg 52). | No national data published. |
| Outcome report | Within 5 working days of the meeting or hearing, 10 if a legally qualified person prepares it (reg 43). | Fixed by the regulations. |
| Appeal | 7 working days after a meeting (reg 45); 10 working days to the Police Appeals Tribunal after a hearing (PAT Rules r 9). | 55 appeals to the tribunal for cases finalised in 2024/25. |
Once a warning is given, it runs from the day you are notified: 18 months for a written warning and 2 years for a final written warning, with the power to extend some final written warnings up to 5 years (reg 42(9)-(10)). A long investigation therefore pushes back the date a warning would expire. What each outcome means is in police misconduct sanctions explained, and the difference between the two types of proceedings is in misconduct meeting vs hearing.
What the Home Office data shows
The Home Office publishes annual police misconduct statistics for the 43 territorial forces. The latest edition, published on 22 January 2026, covers cases finalised in the year ending 31 March 2025. It measures time in calendar days from the date a case was received to the date it was finalised, and covers conduct matters, recordable conduct matters and public complaints investigated under special procedures. The statistics are labelled "official statistics in development", and the Home Office asks users to treat them with caution.
| Case type | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Conduct matter (raised internally) | 111 | 130 |
| Recordable conduct matter | 311 | 405 |
| Public complaint (special procedures) | 413 | 428 |
| All misconduct cases | 187 | 210 |
Across all 7,108 cases finalised in 2024/25:
- 31% were finalised within 3 months of being received;
- 46% within 6 months;
- 69% within 12 months;
- 9% took more than 24 months.
| Cases that | Median | Within 6 months | Within 12 months | Over 24 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did not go to a meeting or hearing (5,510 cases) | 140 days | 57% | 80% | 4% |
| Went to at least one meeting or hearing (1,598 cases) | 478 days | 8% | 34% | 24% |
| No misconduct found (5,778 cases) | 154 days | 54% | 77% | 5% |
| At least one finding of misconduct (1,330 cases) | 473 days | 9% | 35% | 24% |
Cases still open matter too. At 31 March 2025, 5,625 misconduct cases were outstanding. Their median age was 302 days (up from 262 a year earlier), and 950 (17%) had been open for more than two years. The Home Office reports that some forces focused on closing older cases, which increased the number finalised but made the finalised figures look slower.
- They measure whole cases, including any time before an investigation starts and after it ends, not just the investigation.
- A case can involve several officers and allegations; your own part may be quicker or slower than the case as a whole.
- They cover finalised cases. Very long cases still open are not in the finalised medians.
- They do not isolate time spent waiting for criminal proceedings or the IOPC.
For national figures on outcomes, dismissals and appeals, see misconduct outcomes and statistics. Where that page's round figures differ from the numbers here, the Home Office publication cited on this page is the primary source.
IOPC timeliness and its published performance
When a case involves the IOPC, part of the timetable is in its hands. The IOPC publishes a monthly performance framework. Its March 2026 report, covering 2025/26, shows:
- Core independent investigations completed within 12 months: 72.5% (target 70%; 71.7% in 2024/25).
- Completed within 6 months: 31.6% (target 30%; 31.3% in 2024/25).
- Decision on the form of investigation for referred cases: an average of 4.3 working days (target 5).
- IOPC reviews of police complaint handling: an average of 96.3 working days against a 50 working day target. This affects how long a complainant's challenge can keep a matter open.
Put the other way, on those figures about 27% of core independent IOPC investigations in 2025/26 took more than a year. The IOPC's separate complaint statistics for 2024/25 show that complaint cases handled under Schedule 3 took an average of 138 working days to finalise (146 including periods when they were suspended). That figure covers all Schedule 3 complaints, most of which never become misconduct investigations.
After an IOPC investigation, the force has 28 days to give its views on the report before the IOPC decides whether there is a case to answer, unless the IOPC extends the time (Complaints Regs reg 27). More on the IOPC's role in IOPC investigations explained.
How criminal investigations and court cases delay misconduct
A criminal investigation into the same facts is the most common reason for a long misconduct case. The rules are:
- Parallel, not sequential, by default. Home Office guidance (paragraphs 7.81 and 7.82) says possible or outstanding criminal proceedings will not normally delay misconduct proceedings, and the presumption is that misconduct action is taken before or in parallel with them.
- Proceedings pause only if prejudice is likely. Before referring a case to a meeting or hearing, the force must decide whether it would prejudice criminal proceedings, and no meeting or hearing can take place while it considers it would (reg 10(2)-(3)). If a witness may give evidence in both, it must consult the prosecutor first (reg 10(4)). Guidance says such decisions must be kept under regular review.
- The investigation usually carries on. Guidance (paragraph 7.83) says the investigation continues up to the point of referral; it is the meeting or hearing that is held back. In complaint and IOPC cases, the investigation itself can be suspended if continuing would prejudice a criminal investigation or proceedings, and the IOPC can direct that it resumes in the public interest (Complaints Regs reg 40).
- After the criminal case. As soon as practicable after the prejudice ends or the criminal proceedings conclude, whatever the result, the force must decide again whether there is a case to answer and what form proceedings take (reg 23(3)), and can consider an accelerated hearing (reg 49(3)).
- No proceedings before the report. In Schedule 3 cases, no criminal or disciplinary proceedings can be brought until the investigation report is submitted, unless the case is certified for the accelerated procedure (Police Reform Act 2002, Schedule 3, paragraph 20).
Section 197 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026 adds a new "accelerated procedure" allowing the force or the IOPC to send a case to the Director of Public Prosecutions before the investigation is finished, where there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction. Section 198 aligns the test for referring a completed report to the prosecutor with that same standard. Both come into force on 29 October 2026 (SI 2026/960) and apply only to matters where the complaint was made or the matter came to attention on or after that date. The Home Office says the aim is to reduce the time an officer is under investigation before criminal proceedings can be brought.
In 2024/25, 189 officers faced 323 criminal court charges linked to finalised misconduct cases, according to the Home Office statistics. For allegations covered by the amendments in force from 28 May 2025 (SI 2025/558, with transitional rules for older cases), conduct that has resulted in a conviction for an indictable-only offence is taken to be gross misconduct (reg 2(1)). What happens to the job during a criminal case is covered in officer arrested or criminally investigated.
How long can a police officer be suspended?
There is no maximum period. Suspension is always with pay (reg 11(3)) and continues until whichever comes first: the force decides on review that the suspension condition is no longer met, it is decided there is no case to answer or no proceedings, or the proceedings conclude (reg 11(7)). Automatic suspension after being charged with a listed offence lasts until the charge is discontinued or you are found not guilty (reg 11F).
What the Home Office data shows for 2024/25:
- 923 police officers were suspended at 31 March 2025 (941 a year earlier);
- 726 new suspensions started and 744 ended during the year;
- the median suspension that ended lasted 273 calendar days;
- 62% lasted less than a year and 87% less than two years.
The Home Office notes that end dates are sometimes not recorded, so these figures carry some uncertainty. For what suspension means day to day, see suspension and restricted duties explained and, for your rights while suspended, under investigation: your rights.
How long after the investigation is the hearing?
The sequence after the investigator's report is:
- Case to answer decision. As soon as practicable. If it is not made within 15 working days of the report, you must be told why (reg 23).
- Notice of referral with the case papers (reg 30).
- Your response. 15 working days to say whether you accept the conduct amounts to misconduct or gross misconduct and to give your account, extendable only in exceptional circumstances (reg 31).
- Meeting or hearing. A misconduct meeting within 20 working days after that (reg 34). For a hearing, the chair must ensure the first day is no more than 100 working days after the notice of referral (reg 29(2)). Both can be extended in the interests of justice.
- Accelerated hearing where the special conditions are certified: 10 to 15 working days after its notice (reg 52).
On those rules, the gap between the notice of referral and the first day of a misconduct hearing can be up to 100 working days, roughly 20 weeks, before any extension. We could not find national data on how long that stage takes in practice. The end-to-end median for cases that went to a meeting or hearing was 478 days in 2024/25.
Why some cases take much longer than others
The published sources point to a handful of recurring reasons. None of them is a rule; they explain the spread in the data rather than predict your case.
- The route in. Internally raised conduct matters had a median of 130 days in 2024/25, against 405 for recordable conduct matters and 428 for public complaints under special procedures. The latter two are the categories more likely to involve serious harm, IOPC referral or a complainant's review rights.
- Other agencies. The Home Office says some cases depend on processes undertaken by the IOPC, and cases involving criminal charges may depend on action by the Crown Prosecution Service.
- Complexity. Home Office guidance (paragraph 7.57) says some investigations involve complexity, challenging circumstances and seriousness, particularly with multiple people involved, and can take significant time.
- Proceedings. Cases that went to a meeting or hearing took more than three times as long as those that did not (medians of 478 and 140 days).
- Backlogs and resources. The Home Office reports that Professional Standards staffing grew by 54% between March 2019 and March 2023 and by a further 8% since, and that some forces focused on clearing older cases in 2024/25.
- Health. Guidance allows investigations to adapt to an officer's health, for example written questions instead of an interview, but says clear medical evidence is needed to justify delay.
How the stage limits can add up (illustrative example, not a real case)
This is an illustrative example, not a real case. It shows how the fixed periods in the Conduct Regulations stack up for an internally raised gross misconduct allegation with no criminal side and no extensions. The investigation length is an assumption for the example, not a rule.
| Step | Rule | Illustrative timing |
|---|---|---|
| Allegation comes to attention | Starts the 12-month clock (reg 19) | Week 0 |
| Severity assessment and investigator appointed | No fixed period | Assumed within 2 weeks |
| Notice and terms of reference served | As soon as reasonably practicable (reg 17) | Assumed week 2 |
| Officer's written response | 10 working days (reg 18) | By about week 4 |
| Progress updates | Every 4 weeks (reg 17(7)) | Weeks 6, 10, 14 and so on |
| Investigation and report | No fixed period; guidance expects 6 to 12 months for most | Assumed month 8 |
| Case to answer decision | As soon as practicable; reasons if over 15 working days (reg 23) | About 3 weeks later |
| Officer's response to referral | 15 working days (reg 31) | About 3 weeks later |
| Misconduct hearing | First day within 100 working days of the notice (reg 29) | Up to about 20 weeks after the notice |
| Outcome report | 5 working days (reg 43) | About a week after the hearing |
On these assumptions the case would take roughly 12 to 14 months, a little shorter than the 478-day (about 15.7 months) median for cases that reached proceedings in 2024/25. A parallel criminal case, an IOPC investigation, or extensions granted in the interests of justice would lengthen it; an accelerated hearing (10 to 15 working days after its notice) would shorten it considerably.
What delay means for you
If the wait is affecting your health, confidential support is listed in the police mental health support services directory, including a 24/7 crisis line for people in policing.
How officers and forces can challenge delay
These are the routes the rules and guidance provide. Which is right depends on your case, so use them with your representative.
- Ask for the update you are owed. Progress updates every 4 weeks (reg 17(7)) and a copy of any 12-month or 6-monthly timeliness report (reg 19(4)).
- Representations to the appropriate authority. Your police friend can make representations about any aspect of the proceedings (reg 7(2)(c)). Guidance paragraph 5.14 lets you or your police friend submit at any stage that the correct procedures have not been followed.
- Suspension reviews. Representations at any time you reasonably believe circumstances have changed, including because the investigation has moved on (reg 11A(1)(b)).
- Criminal prejudice decisions. Guidance says a decision to hold back proceedings because of a criminal case must be kept under regular review, so you can ask when it was last reviewed and why.
- At the meeting or hearing. Your representative can raise the effect of delay on fairness. Whether that changes anything depends on the facts.
- Oversight. The 12-month report goes to the police and crime commissioner, and in complaint cases to the IOPC. The IOPC says it cannot intervene in proceedings about your own conduct and recommends legal or staff association advice.
- Judicial review of a public body's decision is possible in some circumstances. Claims must be brought promptly and in any event within 3 months of the grounds arising (Civil Procedure Rules 54.5). This needs a solicitor.
Forces and chief constables face pressure in the other direction too. From 29 September 2026, the Crime and Policing Act 2026 gives the Home Secretary power to make rules letting chief officers appeal misconduct decisions to the Police Appeals Tribunal. We could not confirm that the tribunal rules have yet been amended to use it.
Common myths about misconduct timescales
Myth
"After 12 months the case has to be dropped."
What the rules say
The 12-month point triggers a report to the police and crime commissioner, not the end of the case (reg 19).
Myth
"Nothing happens until the criminal trial is over."
What the rules say
The investigation normally continues. Only the meeting or hearing is held back while it would prejudice the criminal case.
Myth
"Suspension can only last a year."
What the rules say
There is no maximum. In 2024/25, 13% of suspensions that ended had lasted two years or more.
Myth
"If I retire, the clock stops."
What the rules say
Gross misconduct proceedings can continue against former officers (reg 4(2)), and the Home Office says the rules in force from 28 May 2025 create a presumption of an accelerated hearing for them.
Myth
"The 10 days to respond are calendar days from when I signed."
What the rules say
They are working days, beginning with the first working day after you are given the terms of reference or the note withholding them (reg 18).
What to ask about timing
- When did the allegation first come to the force's attention? (It starts the 12-month clock.)
- What are the remaining lines of enquiry and the estimated finish date?
- Is anything waiting on a criminal decision, the CPS or the IOPC?
- When was the criminal-prejudice decision last reviewed?
- Has a 12-month report been sent, and where is my copy?
- Is there anything I can provide that would shorten the investigation?
- Should we make representations about delay or suspension?
- How would resigning or retiring now affect my case and pension?
- Is there a fairness point about delay worth raising later?
What we could not verify
- We found no published national figure for the length of the investigation stage alone, the time from report to hearing, or how often stage deadlines are extended. The Home Office figures cover whole cases.
- The Home Office statutory guidance on GOV.UK is version 1.0 from February 2020 and predates the 2024 to 2026 amendments. It still describes 4-weekly suspension reviews, which now apply only to allegations that came to attention before 13 July 2026.
- The IOPC percentages cover its "core independent investigations". We could not confirm exactly which cases that definition excludes, so they are not a measure of every investigation the IOPC is involved in.
- We could not confirm when the Police Appeals Tribunals Rules will be amended to allow appeals by chief officers, local policing bodies or the IOPC.
- Force-level timeliness varies widely in the IOPC complaint statistics, and we have not assessed any individual force.
This page summarises the regulations and published data as read on 30 September 2026. For your own case, speak to your Police Federation or staff association representative, or a solicitor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a police misconduct investigation take?
Home Office guidance expects most investigations to take 6 to 12 months, longer if complex or linked to a criminal case. In practice, Home Office statistics for cases finalised in the year to 31 March 2025 show a median of 210 calendar days from the case being received to it being finalised. Cases that went to a misconduct meeting or hearing took a median of 478 days; cases that did not took 140 days.
Is there a time limit for police misconduct investigations?
There is no overall deadline after which an investigation must stop. Regulation 10 of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 says proceedings must proceed without delay, and there are fixed periods for individual steps, such as the 10 working day response window and progress updates every 4 weeks. If an investigation is not finished within 12 months, the force must explain why to the police and crime commissioner.
What happens if a misconduct investigation takes more than 12 months?
The appropriate authority must write to the local policing body (usually the police and crime commissioner) setting out when the allegation came to attention, progress, the reasons for the time taken, an estimated finish date and the planned steps, then repeat this every 6 months. You must be sent a copy, subject to the harm test. In complaint cases the report also goes to the IOPC. Missing 12 months does not end the case.
How long can a police officer be suspended?
There is no maximum. Suspension continues until it is lifted after a review, it is decided there will be no proceedings, or proceedings conclude. For allegations from 13 July 2026 it must be reviewed at least every 12 weeks (previously every 4 weeks). In the year to 31 March 2025 the median suspension lasted 273 days, 62% lasted under a year and 87% under two years.
How long after the investigation is the misconduct hearing?
Once you receive the notice of referral you have 15 working days to respond. A misconduct meeting should then be held within 20 working days, and the first day of a misconduct hearing must be no more than 100 working days after the notice, although the chair can extend both in the interests of justice. An accelerated hearing must be 10 to 15 working days after its notice.
Does a criminal investigation delay the misconduct case?
Often, but only at the proceedings stage. Home Office guidance says the presumption is that misconduct action is taken before or in parallel with criminal proceedings. The investigation usually continues, but no misconduct meeting or hearing can be held while the force considers it would prejudice the criminal case (regulation 10). When that risk ends, the force must make a further decision as soon as practicable.
How long do IOPC investigations take?
The IOPC's own target is to complete 70% of its core independent investigations within 12 months and 30% within 6 months. Its March 2026 performance report shows 72.5% and 31.6% for 2025/26. It aims to decide how a referred case will be investigated within an average of 5 working days and reported 4.3.
How long does a written warning last?
Under regulation 42(9), a written warning stays in force for 18 months and a final written warning for 2 years, each from the day it is notified to you. In some cases where a final written warning is given at a hearing, it can be extended to a maximum of 5 years.
Can I retire or resign while waiting for the outcome?
Home Office guidance says officers facing misconduct or gross misconduct allegations may give notice to resign or retire. Gross misconduct cases can continue against former officers, and leaving during such an investigation puts you on the police advisory list. Take advice from your representative and pension administrator first.
Can I complain about delay in my misconduct case?
You or your police friend can make representations to the appropriate authority about any aspect of the proceedings, and guidance lets you submit at any stage that procedures have not been followed. The IOPC says it cannot intervene in proceedings about your own conduct. A court challenge by judicial review is possible in some cases but has strict time limits, so take legal advice.
How often should I be updated during a misconduct investigation?
Under regulation 17(7) of the Conduct Regulations, the investigator must update you on progress within 4 weeks of your notice and then at least every 4 weeks. The IOPC says it updates officers it is investigating at least every 28 days unless another timeframe is agreed.
How long do I have to appeal a misconduct outcome?
After a misconduct meeting you have 7 working days from receiving the outcome report to appeal (regulation 45, extendable in exceptional circumstances). After a hearing or accelerated hearing, notice of appeal to the Police Appeals Tribunal is due within 10 working days of first receiving the written decision (rule 9 of the Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020).
Sources and how we checked them
Every factual claim on this page was written from the sources below, read on 30 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so check the source for the date you are reading this. Where we could not confirm something from an official or independent source, the page says so rather than guessing. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/4), latest revised text (legislation.gov.uk) — reg 10 (without delay; criminal proceedings), 11 to 11H (suspension), 17 to 20 (notice, response, timeliness, interview), 23 (case to answer), 29, 31, 33, 34 (hearing and meeting timing), 42 (warning periods), 43 (outcome report), 45 (meeting appeals), 52 (accelerated hearing timing) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police (Conduct and Vetting etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/653) — suspension changes from 13 July 2026 and the transitional rule (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, regulation 11 as at 12 July 2026 — 4-weekly suspension reviews for older allegations (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/2), latest revised text — referral deadlines (regs 4, 7, 9), timeliness reports (reg 13), 28-day views on IOPC reports (reg 27), suspension and resumption of investigations (regs 40, 41) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police Reform Act 2002, Schedule 3 — para 20 (no proceedings until the report), para 23 (IOPC action on reports) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 197, and Commencement No. 3 Regulations (SI 2026/960) — accelerated referral to the DPP before a final report; in force 29 October 2026 for new matters (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Home Office: police misconduct, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2025 (published 22 January 2026) — chapter 7 timeliness, chapter 8 suspensions, chapter 6 criminal proceedings (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Home Office statutory guidance on professional standards, performance and integrity in policing (version 1.0, February 2020) — paras 7.53 to 7.60 (timeliness), 7.81 to 7.86 (criminal proceedings), 5.30 to 5.43 (pay, promotion, resignation, fitness) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- IOPC performance framework 2025/26, March 2026 — independent investigations completed within 6 and 12 months; mode of investigation decisions (accessed 30 September 2026)
- IOPC police complaints statistics for England and Wales 2024/25 — average working days to finalise complaint cases (table 21) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- IOPC: information for police officers and staff — IOPC cannot intervene in proceedings about an officer's own conduct (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020 (SI 2020/1), rule 9 — 10 working days to give notice of appeal (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Civil Procedure Rules, Part 54 (rule 54.5) — judicial review claims: promptly and within 3 months (accessed 30 September 2026)
- GOV.UK news: new rules to sack officers guilty of gross misconduct (7 May 2025) — presumption of accelerated hearings for former officers from 28 May 2025 (accessed 30 September 2026)
On this topic elsewhere
More in this guide series
Related rights, pay and welfare
Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not a law firm or a representative body, and this page is general information, not legal advice. Conduct, performance and complaints procedures are set by regulations, statutory guidance and your force's own policies, all of which are amended from time to time, and the outcome of any case turns on its facts. If you are under investigation or facing proceedings, speak to your Police Federation or staff association representative or a solicitor about your own case. Details apply to England and Wales unless stated. Details are as checked on 30 September 2026.