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The Police Regulations 1995
Probationary service in the rank of constable
14.—(1) This regulation applies to a member of a police force 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.
(2) A member of a police force to whom this regulation applies shall, unless paragraph (3) applies to his case, be on probation for the first 2 years of his service as a constable in that police force following his last appointment thereto or for such longer period as the chief officer of police, with the approval of the Secretary of State, determines in the circumstances of a particular case:
Provided that where, in the opinion of the chief officer of police, the said period of probation was seriously interrupted by a period of absence from duty by reason of injury or illness, the chief officer of police may at his discretion extend the period of probation for such longer period not exceeding 12 months as he determines in the circumstances of that particular case.
(3) A member of a police force to whom this regulation applies who has served on probation for a period of not less than a year following a previous appointment to that or any other police force shall be on probation for the first year of his service as a constable in the police force first mentioned in this paragraph following his last appointment thereto or for such longer period as the chief officer of police, with the approval of the Secretary of State, determines in the circumstances of a particular case:
Provided that the chief officer of police may at his discretion—
(a) reduce the period of probation, so however that the reduced period, when aggregated with the previous period of probation, shall not be less than 2 years, or
(b) dispense with the period of probation, if the member, following his previous appointment, completed the required period of probation in the force in question.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation—
(a) in reckoning service, any period of unpaid leave shall be disregarded;
(b) in the case of a university scholar, in reckoning service his period of study shall be disregarded;
(c) in the case of a member who has been statutorily transferred from one force to some other force, his service in those two forces shall be treated as if it were service in the same police force;
(d) in the case of a member of a police force who has been transferred thereto from an aerodrome constabulary by an order under section 30 of the Aviation Security Act 1982, his service in that constabulary shall be treated as if it were service in that police force.
(5) In its application to the metropolitan police force this regulation shall have effect as if "chief officer "included an assistant commissioner of police.
Discharge of probationer
15.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this regulation, during his period of probation in the force the services of a constable may be dispensed with at any time if the chief officer of police considers that he is not fitted, physically or mentally, to perform the duties of his office, or that he is not likely to become an efficient or well conducted constable.
(2) A constable whose services are dispensed with under this regulation shall be entitled to receive a month's notice or a month's pay in lieu thereof.
(3) A constable's services shall not be dispensed with in accordance with this regulation and any notice given for the purposes thereof shall cease to have effect if he gives written notice to the police authority of his intention to retire and retires in pursuance of the said notice on or before the date on which his services would otherwise be dispensed with; and such a notice taking effect on that date shall be accepted by the police authority notwithstanding that less than a month's notice is given.
(4) Where a constable has received a notice under this regulation that his services are to be dispensed with and he gives written notice of his intention to retire and retires under paragraph (3), he shall nevertheless be entitled to receive pay up to and until the date on which the month's notice he has received would have expired or where he has received or is due to receive a month's pay in lieu of notice he shall remain entitled to that pay notwithstanding the notice he has given under paragraph (3).
(5) In its application to the metropolitan police force this regulation shall have effect as if "chief officer "included an assistant commissioner of police.
Retirement
16.—(1) Without prejudice to the provisions mentioned in paragraph (3) and subject to paragraph (2), a member of a police force may retire only if he has given to the police authority one month's written notice of his intention to retire or such shorter notice as may have been accepted by that authority:
Provided that, while suspended under the Discipline Regulations, a member may not, without the consent of the chief officer of police, give notice for the purposes of this regulation or retire in pursuance of a notice previously given.
(2) In the case of a chief officer of police or assistant chief constable, paragraph (1) shall have effect as if for the reference to the chief officer of police there were substituted a reference to the police authority.
(3) The provisions referred to in paragraph (1) are—
(a) prior to 1st April 1995, the provisions of sections 5 and 6 of the 1964 Act relating to retirement in the interests of efficiency;
(b) on or after 1st April 1995, the provisions of sections 5A(2) to (4) and 6(3) of the 1964 Act relating to retirement in the interests of efficiency and effectiveness;
(c) the provisions of section 58(3) of the 1964 Act relating to the retirement of chief constables affected by amalgamations or local government reorganisation;
(d) the provisions of the Police Pensions Regulations relating to compulsory retirement, and
(e) the provisions of the Discipline Regulations relating to resignation as an alternative to dismissal.
Annual leave
34.—(1) Every member of a police force shall, so far as the exigencies of duty permit, be granted annual leave in accordance with Schedule 4.
(2) The annual leave of a member of a police force shall be additional to the days upon which he is not required to perform police duties in accordance with—
(a) regulation 29, in the case of a member below the rank of inspector, or
(b) regulation 30 or 31, in the case of a member of, or above, that rank;
and a member below the rank of superintendent shall, so far as the exigencies of duty permit, be allowed to take his annual leave in one period continuous with such days as aforesaid falling within the period in which he desires to take annual leave.
Maternity leave
36.—(1) During the maternity period a woman member of a police force shall not be entitled to any sick leave in respect of any injury, illness or incapacity for duty which is solely or mainly due to pregnancy or childbirth or their after effects but shall be entitled to take maternity leave for the whole or any part or parts of the period.
(2) The maternity leave granted in respect of any particular maternity period shall be paid maternity leave, as respects the first 3 months thereof, and unpaid maternity leave, as respects the remainder:
Provided that a member shall not be entitled to more than 3 months' paid maternity leave during any period of 12 months or, in the case of a constable, to any paid maternity leave before the end of her period of probation in the force.
(3) In this regulation the maternity period means, in relation to a woman member of a police force who is certified by a registered medical practitioner approved by the police authority to be pregnant, the period beginning 6 months before the date which is estimated by the said medical practitioner as being the probable date of birth and ending 9 months after the birth of the child.