{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-conduct-senior-officers-scotland-regulations-1996/regulation-8",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-conduct-senior-officers-scotland-regulations-1996/regulation-8.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1996/1645",
  "legislation_title": "The Police (Conduct) (Senior Officers) (Scotland) Regulations 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-conduct-senior-officers-scotland-regulations-1996",
  "path": "regulation/8",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "8",
  "heading": "Alleged criminal offence",
  "text": "(1) Notwithstanding anything in regulations 4 and 5, where a report, allegation or complaint is received from which it may reasonably be inferred that a senior officer may have committed a criminal offence, the police authority may decide—\n(a) not to appoint an investigating officer to investigate the matter in terms of regulation 4(1);\n(b) if an investigating officer is appointed, to instruct that officer not to prepare or not to serve an investigation form upon the senior officer concerned or not to carry out any investigation into any matter arising out of or referred to in that report, allegation or complaint, insofar as it might be the subject of criminal proceedings; or\n(c) to delay arriving at a decision as to whether disciplinary proceedings need to be taken, until—\n(i) the procurator fiscal has intimated that criminal proceedings are not to be taken in respect of any matter arising out of or referred to in that report, allegation or complaint; or\n(ii) if the procurator fiscal has intimated that criminal proceedings are to be taken in respect of any such matter, the completion of those criminal proceedings.\n(2) If the police authority decide to exercise any power conferred upon them by paragraph (1), they shall arrange for the senior officer concerned to be informed to that effect and to be warned that disciplinary proceedings may subsequently be taken against him, irrespective of whether or not criminal proceedings are brought against him or of the outcome of any such proceedings.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1645/regulation/8",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:40:37.900226+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}