Misconduct Meeting
vs Hearing
If your case has been referred to proceedings, the notice will say whether it is a meeting or a hearing. That one word decides who sits, whether the public can attend, whether you can have a lawyer and what the worst outcome is. Here is how each works under the regulations as they stand at 30 September 2026.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 30 September 2026 · England and Wales unless stated
A misconduct meeting is private, usually held by one more senior person, and can give at most a final written warning. A misconduct hearing is public, run by a panel chaired by the chief officer or a delegate with two lay members, can find gross misconduct and can dismiss. You can have a lawyer only at a hearing, and the case to answer decision sets the route.
The three forms of proceedings, side by side
The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 provide three kinds of proceedings: the misconduct meeting and the misconduct hearing under Part 4, and the accelerated misconduct hearing under Part 5. This table covers officers up to and including chief superintendent. Senior officers have panels at every stage (see who sits).
| Misconduct meeting | Misconduct hearing | Accelerated hearing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it decides | Misconduct or not | Misconduct, gross misconduct or neither | Gross misconduct or not |
| Who goes there | A case to answer for misconduct only (and no live final written warning or recent reduction in rank) | A case to answer for gross misconduct, or misconduct with a live final written warning or a reduction in rank within 2 years | Gross misconduct cases certified under the special conditions (reg 49) |
| Who decides (officers up to chief superintendent) | One person at least one rank above you, or a more senior staff member unless the case substantially involves operational policing | Panel of three: chief officer or delegate as chair plus two lay members; legally qualified person advises | The chief officer alone, or a delegate |
| Held in public? | No, private (reg 39(2)) | Yes, subject to the chair's restrictions (reg 39(1)) | Yes, subject to restrictions (reg 59) |
| Legal representation | No. Police friend only | Yes, a relevant lawyer, plus a police friend | Yes, a relevant lawyer, plus a police friend |
| Witnesses | Only if necessary in the interests of justice | Only if necessary in the interests of justice | None other than you |
| Most serious outcome | Final written warning | Dismissal without notice | Dismissal without notice |
| When it must happen | Within 20 working days of your response (extendable) | First day within 100 working days of the notice of referral (extendable) | 10 to 15 working days after notice |
| Record | A record must be taken | Verbatim record | Verbatim record |
| Appeal (officers up to chief superintendent) | Internal appeal under reg 45, 7 working days | Police Appeals Tribunal, 10 working days | Police Appeals Tribunal, 10 working days |
In the year to 31 March 2025, Home Office figures show 724 officers faced misconduct meetings, 539 faced misconduct hearings and 424 faced accelerated hearings. The accelerated route is covered in more depth in our accelerated hearings guide.
Which track your case goes on, and who decides
The decision is made by the appropriate authority (the chief officer or their delegate) when it receives the investigator's report and decides there is a case to answer (regulation 23). At the very start, the severity assessment must also say whether proceedings would be likely to be a meeting or a hearing (regulation 14(5)(b)), and that appears in your regulation 17 notice. That early view is not binding and can change.
Regulation 23(10) sets a fixed test once proceedings are to be brought:
- A case to answer for gross misconduct must go to a misconduct hearing.
- If you had a final written warning in force on the date of the severity assessment, it must be a hearing, even for misconduct.
- If you were reduced in rank less than 2 years before the severity assessment (under the 2004 or 2020 regulations), it must be a hearing.
- Every other case to answer for misconduct goes to a misconduct meeting.
The key date is the severity assessment, not the date of the meeting or hearing. A warning that expires while the investigation is running still counts if it was live when the assessment was made.
- IOPC direction. Where the IOPC has directed or recommended proceedings of a particular form, the force must refer the case to that form (regulation 23(9)).
- Accelerated hearing. The special conditions are that written statements or other documents are sufficient to establish gross misconduct on the balance of probabilities, and that it is in the public interest for you to cease to be an officer without delay (regulation 49(2)). Since 28 May 2025 the force can decide this at any time after receiving the investigator's report and before the meeting or hearing date, without waiting for the investigator's statement (regulation 49(A1) and (A2)). A delegated certification must be authorised by a senior officer (regulation 2(4)).
- Back from accelerated. If the accelerated hearing finds the conduct is not gross misconduct, it can dismiss the case or send it back to be dealt with under Part 4 (regulation 62(8)).
- Joint proceedings. Cases against several officers arising from the same incident can be heard together, and any officer can object and ask for separate proceedings (regulation 25).
Who sits, and how independent they are
Misconduct meeting. One person, appointed by the appropriate authority, who must be a member of a police force at least one rank above you, or a police staff member the authority considers more senior, but not a staff member if the case substantially involves operational policing (regulation 28(3)). For a special constable it can be a sergeant or above, a senior HR professional or a more senior staff member. The authority can appoint an adviser to the person conducting the meeting, but not a lawyer (regulation 8(6) and (7)).
Misconduct hearing, since 7 May 2024. A panel of three (regulation 28(4)):
- The chair is the chief officer of your force. The chief officer can delegate the chair to a senior officer, a former senior officer who last served as one no more than five years before, or (unless the case substantially involves operational policing) a police staff member of similar seniority (regulation 2(4A) and (4B)).
- Two lay members appointed by the police and crime commissioner (or equivalent) from lists it keeps, selected on a fair and transparent basis. One must have qualifications or experience relevant to disciplinary proceedings; the other need not. Both must be lay people, meaning they have never been police officers, police staff, PCCs or PCC staff, among others (regulation 28(4A) and Police Act 1996, Schedule 6, paragraph 10(aa)).
- A legally qualified person, appointed by the PCC, advises on legal and procedural issues when the chair asks. The panel must have regard to the advice and it must be given to all parties (regulations 28(5B) to (5D) and 41(14A)). The legally qualified person does not decide the case.
Accelerated hearing. For officers up to chief superintendent, the chief officer alone conducts it, or a delegate who cannot be the senior officer who certified the case (regulations 55(1) and 2(4C)). The regulations provide for a legally qualified adviser only where a senior officer's accelerated hearing is conducted by a panel (regulation 55(4A)).
Senior officers (above chief superintendent) face a panel of three at both meetings and hearings. The chair is a more senior officer from another force, or for chief officers and the Met's deputy and assistant commissioners, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary or an inspector nominated by them (regulation 28(5) and (5A)).
- You can object in writing, with grounds, within 3 working days of being told the name of the chair, the person conducting a meeting, the legally qualified person or a panel member (regulations 30 and 35). If an objection to the chief officer as chair is upheld, the chair must be delegated.
- No one may be appointed, or have the chair delegated to them, where the authority knows of circumstances that may reasonably be considered to give rise to a conflict of interest (regulation 12A).
- Where the IOPC disagreed with the force about the case, it can make written representations on whether the chief officer should delegate the chair to someone from another force, and the chief officer must have regard to them (regulation 28(5E) to (5G)).
- The appropriate authority can delegate the administration of a hearing to another force (regulation 26), sometimes called a regional hearing.
What you are entitled to before and at the proceedings
- A written notice of referral setting out the conduct, how it is said to amount to misconduct or gross misconduct, who will conduct or chair, your representation rights, and copies of your own statements, the investigator's report (or the parts about you) and any other document that might reasonably be considered capable of undermining or assisting the case, subject to the harm test (regulation 30).
- Time to respond. 15 working days to say whether you accept the allegation, give your account of what you dispute, raise points of law and send the documents you will rely on. If you accept it, you can send written mitigation (regulation 31). The period can be extended only for exceptional circumstances.
- A list of documents given to the decision maker, and copies of any you have not had (regulation 32(8)).
- Representation. A police friend at every stage (regulation 7). At a hearing or accelerated hearing, a relevant lawyer of your choice as well, though the unavailability of your preferred lawyer is not a valid reason for delay if another can be found (regulation 8(1) and (2)). If you choose not to be legally represented, you can still be dismissed (regulation 8(3)). The proceedings cannot go ahead unless you have been told about these rights (regulation 41(2)).
- To attend, or to take part by video link if you have a reason the chair accepts (regulation 37). If you do not attend, your police friend or lawyer can still represent you, and the case can be decided in your absence.
- To put your case. Your representative can put your case, sum it up, respond to views expressed, make representations and, subject to the chair, ask questions of witnesses (regulation 41(7)). Your police friend or lawyer cannot answer questions put to you (regulation 41(9)).
- A copy of the record. On request, a copy of the record of the proceedings, which must be verbatim for a hearing (regulation 44).
Who can be your police friend, and what the Federation provides, is covered in representation and legal support. Your rights earlier on, during the investigation, are in under investigation: your rights.
Public hearings, the press and publication
- Hearings are public. A misconduct hearing must be held in public (regulation 39(1)). Home Office guidance says restrictions on attendance should be the exception.
- Meetings are private (regulation 39(2)), although where the case arose from a conduct matter or a complaint under special procedures the complainant and interested persons can attend a meeting as observers, with one companion, and can ask the person conducting it to put questions to you, which that person may do at their discretion (regulation 40).
- Public notice. The chair can require the force to publish a notice of the hearing on its website giving your name, the date, time and place and the allegation (regulation 36). You, the force, the complainant, interested persons, witnesses and the IOPC can make written representations about the notice and about restrictions; the media can make representations about restrictions.
- Restrictions. The chair can exclude any person from all or part of the hearing, impose conditions on attendance and prohibit publication of any matter (regulation 39(3)). If the chair does, written reasons must go to the local policing body (regulation 39(3A)). Some information must be heard without attendees present, for example where disclosure could prejudice criminal proceedings or put a witness at risk (regulation 39(4) and (7)).
- The outcome report is published. The chair must require the force to publish the hearing report on its website for at least 28 days, unless the chair dispenses with publication on specified grounds, and it can be redacted on those grounds (regulation 43(6) to (12)). Information already made public during the proceedings cannot be redacted.
Evidence, witnesses and the standard of proof
- The papers. The decision makers will have read the investigator's report, your account and the documents supplied (Home Office guidance, paragraphs 10.36 and 11.109). Documents not supplied in advance can be allowed at the chair's discretion (regulation 41(11)); the guidance says the presumption is against admitting them unless they were not available earlier, except mitigation after a contested finding.
- Witnesses. Both sides propose witnesses, with brief details of their evidence, within 3 working days after your response (regulation 31(4)). No witness may give evidence unless the person conducting or chairing reasonably believes it is necessary in the interests of justice; police officer witnesses are then ordered to attend (regulation 32(5)). Witnesses cannot sit in before they give evidence (regulation 39(6)). The chair decides which questions may be put (regulation 41(10)). At an accelerated hearing no witnesses other than you may give evidence (regulation 61(6)).
- The investigator. Must attend to answer questions if the chair asks (regulation 38(3)).
- Silence and late facts. If you rely on a fact you could reasonably have mentioned in interview, in your regulation 18 statement or in your regulation 31 response, the panel may draw such inferences as appear proper (regulation 41(12) to (14)). Mitigation raised late can be given less weight (regulation 42(14)(d)).
- Standard of proof. A finding of misconduct or gross misconduct needs the panel to be satisfied on the balance of probabilities, or your admission (regulation 41(16)). Home Office guidance says this is a single, unvarying standard: a serious allegation does not require a higher standard, only careful consideration. The regulations do not use the words "burden of proof"; the case is put by the appropriate authority (or the IOPC where it presents), and a finding can only be made if the panel is satisfied or you admit it.
- Decisions. A panel decides by majority and must not reveal whether it was unanimous (regulation 41(17)).
What a hearing day typically looks like
The regulations do not set a script. The chair determines the procedure, within the regulations and the principles of natural justice (regulation 41(1); Home Office guidance, paragraph 11.107). The sequence below is a typical order assembled from the regulations and the Home Office guidance. We could not read the College of Policing's own hearing guidance (its site blocked our reader), and chairs and forces vary: some deal with findings and outcome on the same day, others adjourn or reserve their decision.
- Before the day: the pre-hearing. If the chair decides to hold one, it is in private and often by phone or video. The chair fixes the date and length of the hearing, decides which witnesses will attend, deals with disclosure and legal arguments, and hears views on exclusions and reporting restrictions, with the legally qualified person advising (regulation 33).
- Opening. The chair introduces the panel and the legally qualified person and confirms you have been told of your right to legal representation, without which the hearing cannot proceed (regulation 41(2)).
- Preliminary matters. Applications about attendance, restrictions, late documents or adjournment are dealt with. Proceedings cannot, except in exceptional circumstances, be adjourned solely so a complainant or witness can attend (regulation 41(4)).
- Your position. At the start, the chair must give you the chance to say whether you accept that your conduct amounts to misconduct or gross misconduct (regulation 41(5)).
- The authority's case. The presenting officer or lawyer for the force (or the IOPC) puts the case and calls any witnesses the chair has allowed (regulation 41(6)).
- Your case. Your representative puts your case, questions witnesses subject to the chair, and you may give evidence and be questioned (regulation 41(7)).
- Closing submissions from both sides, summing up their cases.
- Legal advice. Any advice the legally qualified person gives the panel must also be given to all parties (regulation 41(14A)).
- Findings. The panel retires and decides the facts and whether they amount to misconduct, gross misconduct or neither, on the balance of probabilities (regulation 41(15) and (16)).
- Outcome stage, if a finding is made. The panel must have regard to your record of police service, may hear evidence including character and mitigation evidence (including mitigation previously disclosed to the force, a doctor or your staff association), and must invite representations from you or your representative and the authority on the appropriate outcome (regulation 42(14)). Before any reduction in rank it must take into account the authority's views, including on operational impact (regulation 42(12)).
- Decision and report. The decision may be given orally, then the chair's written report, with reasons, follows within 5 working days, or 10 if the legally qualified person drafts it (regulation 43).
A constable faces a hearing over one allegation. After a pre-hearing by video, the hearing is listed for two days. Day one covers the opening, preliminary matters, the force's case and one witness the chair allowed; day two covers the constable's evidence, closing submissions and the panel's findings. The panel finds misconduct, not gross misconduct, hears submissions on outcome that afternoon and announces a final written warning, with the written report following within 5 working days. Your own case may be shorter, longer or structured differently.
What happens at a misconduct meeting
A meeting is less formal and usually shorter. Home Office guidance (paragraphs 10.35 to 10.49) describes the person conducting it deciding the course of the meeting in line with natural justice and fairness, having read the report, your account and the documents in advance. A record must be taken (regulation 44). In practice:
- You are asked whether you accept the conduct amounts to misconduct (regulation 41(5)).
- The force's representative (a police officer or staff member, not a lawyer) and your police friend put the respective cases (regulation 8(4) and (5)).
- Witnesses attend only if the person conducting it considers it necessary in the interests of justice.
- A complainant or interested person may observe in cases arising from complaints or conduct matters.
- If misconduct is found, the outcome can only be a written warning or a final written warning, after hearing representations on outcome and considering your record (regulation 42(2) and (14)). If not, the matter goes to reflective practice or no further action.
Home Office guidance says the person conducting the meeting summarises the case and gives reasons before announcing the outcome (paragraph 10.50).
What each can decide
A meeting can find misconduct or not. A hearing can find misconduct, gross misconduct or neither. An accelerated hearing can find gross misconduct or not. The outcomes available at each are:
- Meeting: written warning or final written warning (regulation 42(2)).
- Hearing, misconduct found: written warning or final written warning; reduction in rank or dismissal without notice only if a final written warning was live at the severity assessment or the finding covers more than one incident not closely factually connected (regulation 42(3)(a), (5) and (6)).
- Hearing or accelerated hearing, gross misconduct found: dismissal without notice, unless the panel is satisfied exceptional circumstances justify a final written warning or reduction in rank (regulations 42(3)(b) and 62(1), since 28 May 2025). If it does not dismiss, the report must say why and go to the local policing body.
- Neither found: referral to reflective practice or no further action (regulation 42(1A)).
How long warnings last, how panels choose, and the knock-on effects are explained in police misconduct sanctions. In the year to March 2025, Home Office figures show 72% of officers at meetings were found to have committed misconduct; at hearings 69% were found to have committed gross misconduct and a further 11% misconduct.
Time limits from referral to outcome
Most of these limits can be extended by the chair, or shortened by agreement of everyone involved (regulation 22). They are working days, and the clock usually starts on the first working day after the triggering event.
| Step | Time limit | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Notice of referral and documents | Given as soon as practicable after the case to answer decision | Reg 30(1) |
| Object to the person conducting or chairing, or to the legally qualified person | Within 3 working days of being told the name | Reg 30(4) |
| Your written response and documents | 15 working days from the first working day after the documents are supplied; extendable only for exceptional circumstances | Reg 31(1) |
| Exchange of witness lists | Within 3 working days after your response | Reg 31(4) |
| Documents to the chair | Within 10 working days after your response (extendable on application) | Reg 32(6) |
| Chair decides whether to hold a pre-hearing | Within 5 working days of receiving the documents | Reg 29(3) |
| Pre-hearing held | Within 15 working days of the chair receiving the documents | Reg 33(1) |
| Pre-hearing summary and directions sent to the parties | Within 5 working days of the pre-hearing | Reg 33(15) |
| Hearing after a pre-hearing | Within 30 working days of the pre-hearing | Reg 33(9) |
| Hearing with no pre-hearing | Within 30 working days of the chair receiving the documents | Reg 29(5) |
| Outer limit for the first day of the hearing | 100 working days from the notice of referral, unless the chair extends it in the interests of justice | Reg 29(2) and (6) |
| Object to a lay panel member | Within 3 working days of being told the name | Reg 35(4) |
| Misconduct meeting held | Within 20 working days of your response or the end of your response period | Reg 34(1) |
| Propose another date if you or your police friend are unavailable | A reasonable time within 5 working days of the date set | Regs 33(3), 34(7) |
| Outcome report | 5 working days (10 if drafted by the legally qualified person) | Reg 43 |
After the decision: outcome, appeal and time limits
The force sends you the report as soon as practicable, and where misconduct or gross misconduct was found, a written notice of your right of appeal naming who to send it to (regulation 43(2) to (4)). Disciplinary action takes effect from the date it is notified to you (regulation 42(4)); Home Office guidance describes dismissal as effective immediately.
Appeal after a meeting (officers up to chief superintendent)
- Written notice to the appropriate authority within 7 working days of receiving the report, stating your grounds and whether you want an appeal meeting (regulation 45(3)). The authority can extend this for exceptional circumstances.
- If you admitted misconduct, you can appeal only the disciplinary action; if you denied it, the finding or the action (regulation 45(1)).
- Grounds: the finding or action was unreasonable; evidence that could not reasonably have been considered could have materially affected it; or a serious breach of procedure or other unfairness could have materially affected it (regulation 45(2)).
- Decided by someone at least one rank above the person who held the meeting. If there are arguable grounds and you asked for one, an appeal meeting is held within 5 working days (extendable). The decision maker can confirm or reverse the decision or deal with you in any way the meeting could have, and you are told within 3 working days (regulations 45 to 47).
Appeal to the Police Appeals Tribunal after a hearing
- Available against a finding of misconduct or gross misconduct at a hearing, gross misconduct at an accelerated hearing, and the disciplinary action imposed. Senior officers can also appeal meeting outcomes (rule 4).
- You cannot appeal a finding you accepted, but you can still appeal the outcome (rule 4(3)).
- Notice in writing to the local policing body within 10 working days of first being supplied with the written decision (rule 9). You can ask for a transcript in the notice. Your full grounds and documents follow within 20 working days of receiving the transcript, or 35 working days of your notice if you did not ask for one (rule 13(7)).
- Grounds mirror those for meeting appeals, but any breach of procedure or unfairness that could have materially affected the outcome counts, not only a serious one (rule 4(4)).
- The tribunal chair must dismiss an appeal, or a ground, that has no real prospect of success unless there is a compelling reason to proceed, after giving you 10 working days to respond (rule 15).
- Tribunal hearings of conduct appeals are held in public, subject to exclusions (rule 22). The tribunal can make any order the original panel could have made (Police Act 1996, section 85(2)), or remit the case to a fresh panel (rule 26).
In the year to March 2025 there were 55 appeals to the tribunal; 23 were dismissed by the chair, 28 were heard and 6 of those were upheld (Home Office). More detail is in our appeal process guide.
Section 204 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, in force from 29 September 2026, lets the Home Secretary make rules allowing a chief officer, a police and crime commissioner (for chief officer cases) and the IOPC (where it presented the case) to appeal to the tribunal. It also provides that a tribunal order dismissing an officer who had not been dismissed takes effect on the day it is made. When we checked on 30 September 2026 the tribunal rules on legislation.gov.uk had not yet been amended to create these appeals, so ask your representative whether they apply to your case.
Common misunderstandings
Preparing: questions to ask your representative
This is not advice on your case. These are the questions the regulations suggest are worth asking early:
- Why was the case sent to a meeting or a hearing, and was a final written warning or a reduction in rank counted?
- Which version of the regulations applies, given when the allegation first came to the force's attention?
- What is the date by which my regulation 31 response is due, and do we need to ask for an extension?
- Do we accept, dispute in part, or dispute the whole allegation, and what does that mean for any appeal later?
- Which witnesses do we want, and can we show they are necessary in the interests of justice?
- Is there anything in the documents that should have been disclosed and has not been?
- Do we have grounds to object to the chair, a panel member or the legally qualified person, within 3 working days?
- What mitigation, character evidence and records of service should be ready in case there is a finding?
- Should we make representations about a public notice or reporting restrictions?
Proceedings can be stressful for you and those close to you. Confidential support is listed in the police mental health support directory.
What we could not verify
- College of Policing hearing guidance. The College's website returned an access error, so the typical hearing order above is built from the regulations and Home Office guidance only.
- Updated Home Office guidance. The statutory guidance on GOV.UK is still the February 2020 version, which describes legally qualified chairs rather than chief officer chairs. We have followed the amended regulations.
- Whether chief officer appeals are live. The power exists from 29 September 2026, but we found no amended tribunal rules yet.
- Whether a tribunal can increase an outcome on an officer's own appeal. Section 85(2) lets the tribunal deal with you in any way the original panel could have. We found no rule that expressly stops it imposing a more severe outcome, and we could not confirm current practice, so ask your representative.
- Local arrangements for lay member lists, venues, remote hearings and how quickly outcomes are announced vary by force and PCC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a misconduct meeting and a misconduct hearing?
A misconduct meeting deals only with misconduct: it is held in private, usually by one person at least one rank above you, and the most it can impose is a final written warning. A misconduct hearing can find misconduct or gross misconduct, is held in public by a three-person panel chaired by the chief officer or a delegate, and can reduce you in rank or dismiss you. You can have a lawyer at a hearing but not at a meeting.
When does a police misconduct case go to a hearing rather than a meeting?
Under regulation 23(10) of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 it must be a hearing if there is a case to answer for gross misconduct, if you had a final written warning in force at the date of the severity assessment, or if you were reduced in rank less than two years before that assessment. Every other misconduct case goes to a meeting.
Who sits on a police misconduct hearing panel?
For officers up to chief superintendent, since 7 May 2024: the chief officer as chair (or a delegate who is a senior officer, a former senior officer who left within the last five years, or a senior police staff member unless the case substantially involves operational policing), and two lay people appointed by the police and crime commissioner, one of whom must have relevant qualifications or experience. A legally qualified person advises the panel but does not vote.
Can I have a solicitor or barrister at a misconduct meeting?
No. You have the right to be represented by a relevant lawyer only at a misconduct hearing or an accelerated misconduct hearing (regulation 8(1)). At a misconduct meeting, and an appeal meeting, you can be represented only by a police friend (regulation 8(4)). You can still take legal advice before the meeting.
Who can be my police friend?
A police officer, a police staff member or a person nominated by your staff association, who is not otherwise involved in the matter (regulation 7(1)). For officers up to chief inspector the staff association is the Police Federation. A police friend can advise you, represent you, make representations and accompany you, and their force must allow them reasonable duty time. They cannot answer questions put to you.
Are police misconduct hearings open to the public and press?
Yes, misconduct hearings and accelerated hearings must be held in public, but the chair can exclude people, impose conditions and prohibit publication of any matter, after considering representations, and must give written reasons to the police and crime commissioner if they do. Meetings are private. The chair can require a public notice of the hearing on the force website, which can include your name.
What is the standard of proof at a police misconduct hearing?
The balance of probabilities. The panel must not find misconduct or gross misconduct unless it is satisfied on the balance of probabilities or you admit it (regulation 41(16)). Decisions are by majority, and the panel must not say whether a decision was unanimous (regulation 41(17)).
Can witnesses be called at a misconduct hearing?
Only if the person conducting or chairing the proceedings reasonably believes it is necessary in the interests of justice (regulation 32(5)). Both sides exchange lists of proposed witnesses within 3 working days after your response to the notice. At an accelerated misconduct hearing no witnesses other than you may give evidence (regulation 61(6)).
How long after a misconduct hearing will I get the outcome?
The chair must send a written report to the appropriate authority within 5 working days of the end of the hearing, or 10 working days if the chair has delegated drafting to the legally qualified person (regulation 43). The force then sends you the report as soon as practicable, with notice of your right of appeal where misconduct or gross misconduct was found.
How long do I have to appeal a misconduct hearing outcome?
To appeal to the Police Appeals Tribunal you must give written notice to the local policing body within 10 working days, starting with the first working day after you are first supplied with the written decision (Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020, rule 9). A late appeal can be accepted only if it was not reasonably practicable to meet the deadline and you acted within a reasonable time (rule 10).
How do I appeal a misconduct meeting outcome?
Officers up to chief superintendent appeal under regulation 45, not to the tribunal. Written notice goes to the appropriate authority within 7 working days of receiving the meeting report, stating your grounds and whether you want an appeal meeting. The appeal is decided by someone at least one rank above the person who held the meeting. Senior officers appeal meeting outcomes to the Police Appeals Tribunal.
Do I have to attend my misconduct hearing?
Yes, regulation 37 says the officer must attend. If you tell the chair in advance that you cannot, for reasons the chair accepts, you may be allowed to take part by video link. The hearing can go ahead and conclude in your absence, whether or not you are represented.
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.
- The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (SI 2020/4), latest revised text, legislation.gov.uk — police friend and lawyers (regs 7-8), referral test (reg 23), panels (reg 28), chair's role and 100 day limit (reg 29), notices and objections (regs 30, 35), response and witnesses (regs 31-32), pre-hearing (reg 33), meeting timing (reg 34), public notice (reg 36), attendance (reg 37), public and private (reg 39), procedure and proof (reg 41), outcomes (reg 42), reports and publication (reg 43), record (reg 44), meeting appeals (regs 45-47), accelerated hearings (regs 49-64) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- The Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/521) and explanatory note — panel composition, delegation of the chair, legally qualified person, conflicts of interest, reasons to the local policing body, from 7 May 2024 (accessed 30 September 2026)
- The Police (Conduct, Performance and Complaints and Misconduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/558) — dismissal presumption, accelerated referral without an investigator's statement, email service of notices, from 28 May 2025 (accessed 30 September 2026)
- The Police Appeals Tribunals Rules 2020 (SI 2020/1), revised text, legislation.gov.uk — who may appeal and grounds (rules 4 and 6), 10 working day notice (rule 9), late appeals (rule 10), documents (rule 13), chair's review (rule 15), hearings in public (rule 22), determination (rule 26) (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Police Act 1996, section 85 and Schedule 6 (police appeals tribunals), legislation.gov.uk — tribunal membership, effect of orders, costs, as amended by the Crime and Policing Act 2026 from 29 September 2026 (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Crime and Policing Act 2026, section 204 (appeals to police appeals tribunals), legislation.gov.uk — power to make rules for appeals by chief officers, local policing bodies and the IOPC; in force 29 September 2026 (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Home Office: Conduct, Efficiency and Effectiveness: Statutory Guidance (version 1.0, February 2020) — conduct of meetings (paras 10.35-10.49), public hearings (para 11.7), how a hearing is conducted (paras 11.107-11.115), standard of proof (para 9.10); written before the 2024 panel changes (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Legally Qualified Persons Handbook, version 4.0, October 2025 (Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner) — how local policing bodies describe the legally qualified person's advisory role after May 2024; secondary source (accessed 30 September 2026)
- Home Office: Police misconduct, England and Wales: year ending 31 March 2025 — numbers of meetings, hearings and accelerated hearings, findings and tribunal appeals (accessed 30 September 2026)
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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.