# Crime and Policing Act 2026, Section 204: Appeals to police appeals tribunals

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) Part 4 of the Police Act 1996 (complaints, disciplinary proceedings etc) is amended as set out in subsections (2) to (8).
(2) In section 85 (appeals against dismissal etc)—
(a) in the heading, for “dismissal etc.” substitute “decisions made in disciplinary and other proceedings”;
(b) after subsection (1) insert—
“(1A) The Secretary of State may by rules make provision enabling a chief officer of police for a police area to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision made in proceedings relating to—
(a) a member or former member of the police force maintained for that area, or
(b) a special constable or former special constable appointed for that area.
(1B) The Secretary of State may by rules make provision enabling a local policing body to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision made in proceedings relating to—
(a) the chief officer of police of the police force for which the body is responsible, or
(b) any former chief officer of police of that police force.
(1C) The Secretary of State may by rules make provision enabling the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision made in proceedings at which the Director General presented the case.”;
(c) in subsection (2), for “appellant” substitute “person to whom the appeal relates”.
(3) Schedule 6 (appeals to police appeals tribunals) is amended as set out in subsections (4) to (8).
(4) In paragraph 1(1) (constitution of police appeals tribunals: senior officers), for “by”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “relating to”.
(5) In paragraph 2(1) (constitution of police appeals tribunals: persons other than senior officers), for “by”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “relating to”.
(6) In paragraph 7 (orders of police appeals tribunals)—
(a) in sub-paragraph (1) at the end insert—
“But this is subject to sub-paragraph (4).”;
(b) in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3), for “appellant” substitute “person to whom the appeal relates”;
(c) at the end insert—
“(4) In a case where—
(a) on the determination of an appeal the tribunal makes an order the effect of which is to dismiss the person to whom the appeal relates, and
(b) the decision that is the subject of the appeal had not been a decision to dismiss the person,
the order takes effect on the date on which it is made.”
(7) For paragraph 9 (including the italic heading before it) substitute—
“Parties’ costs: appeals by officer concerned
9 (1) This paragraph applies in the case of an appeal by and relating to—
(a) a member or former member of a police force, or
(b) a special constable or former special constable.
(2) The appellant’s costs are to be paid by the appellant unless the police appeals tribunal directs that the whole or any part of those costs are to be paid by the respondent.
(3) The respondent’s costs are to be paid by the respondent.
Parties’ costs: appeals by chief officer of police or local policing body
9A (1) This paragraph applies in the case of an appeal by—
(a) a chief officer of police (except where the chief officer of police is the person to whom the appeal relates), or
(b) a local policing body.
(2) The appellant’s costs are to be paid by the appellant.
(3) The respondent’s costs are to be paid by the respondent unless the police appeals tribunal directs that the whole or any part of those costs are to be paid by the appellant.
Parties’ costs: appeals by IOPC
9B (1) This paragraph applies in the case of an appeal by the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (“the Director General”).
(2) The Director General’s costs are to be paid by the Director General unless—
(a) the police appeals tribunal directs that the whole or any part of those costs are to be paid by the appropriate authority, or
(b) sub-paragraph (3) applies.
(3) The Director General’s costs are to be paid by the appropriate authority where the decision appealed against was made in proceedings—
(a) which the Director General directed the appropriate authority to bring, and
(b) at which the appropriate authority and the Director General agreed that the Director General should present the case.
(4) The respondent’s costs are to be paid by the respondent unless the police appeals tribunal directs that the whole or any part of those costs are to be paid by the Director General.
(5) In this paragraph “appropriate authority” means—
(a) where the person to whom the appeal relates is or was a chief officer of police, the local policing body which brought the proceedings in which the decision appealed against was made;
(b) in any other case, the chief officer of police who brought the proceedings in which the decision appealed against was made.
Other costs of appeals
9C (1) The costs and expenses of an appeal under or by virtue of section 85, other than the appellant’s costs or the respondent’s costs, are to be met out of the police fund of the relevant local policing body.
(2) In sub-paragraph (1), the reference to the costs and expenses of an appeal includes any remuneration or expenses paid by virtue of paragraph 8.”
(8) In paragraph 10, in paragraphs (b) and (ba), for “appellant”, in each place it occurs, substitute “person to whom the appeal relates”.
(9) In the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987, in section 4A (appeals against dismissal etc)—
(a) in subsection (1), after paragraph (a) insert—
“(aa) make provision enabling the chief constable of the Ministry of Defence Police to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision relating to—
(i) a member of the Ministry of Defence Police other than a senior officer, or
(ii) a former member of the Ministry of Defence Police who immediately before ceasing to be such a member was not a senior officer;
(ab) make provision enabling the Secretary of State to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision relating to—
(i) a senior officer of the Ministry of Defence Police, or
(ii) a former member of the Ministry of Defence Police who immediately before ceasing to be such a member was a senior officer;
(ac) make provision enabling the Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision made in proceedings at which the Director General presented the case;
(ad) make provision enabling the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland to appeal to a police appeals tribunal against a decision made in proceedings at which the Ombudsman presented the case;”;
(b) in subsection (2), for “appellant” substitute “person to whom the appeal relates”;
(c) after subsection (4) insert—
“(4A) Regulations under this section may provide for decisions relating to appeals which would otherwise fall to be taken by the Secretary of State or the chief constable of the Ministry of Defence Police to be taken instead by—
(a) a person appointed in accordance with the regulations, or
(b) the Ministry of Defence Police Committee.”;
(d) in subsection (7), at the end insert—
““senior officer” has the same meaning as in section 4.”

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2026/20/section/204 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/crime-and-policing-act-2026/section-204
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.