{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-efficiency-scotland-regulations-1996/regulation-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-efficiency-scotland-regulations-1996/regulation-15.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1996/1643",
  "legislation_title": "The Police (Efficiency) (Scotland) Regulations 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-efficiency-scotland-regulations-1996",
  "path": "regulation/15",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Postponement or adjournment of an inefficiency hearing",
  "text": "(1) If the constable intimates to the chairman that he will be unable to attend the inefficiency hearing, or if in the absence of such intimation does not attend the hearing, and the chairman is satisfied that a good reason for such non-attendance is given by, or on behalf of, the constable, he shall postpone, or as the case may be adjourn, the hearing.\n(2) The chairman may also adjourn the inefficiency hearing if, having given the constable the opportunity of making representations in terms of regulation 14(7), he considers it appropriate to allow a further period for assessment of the constable’s performance.\n(3) Where the chairman makes an adjournment for the purpose of paragraph (2), he shall—\n(a) specify a period (not exceeding 3 months) during which the reporting officer and the countersigning officer shall assess the constable’s performance;\n(b) fix a date on which the hearing shall resume; and\n(c) require the constable to attend on that date at a specified place.\n(4) Not later than 14 days after the date on which the period for further assessment specified by the chairman in terms of paragraph (3)(a) ends—\n(a) the reporting officer and the countersigning officer shall prepare a report containing their assessment of the constable’s performance during that period; and\n(b) the countersigning officer shall send the report to the chairman of the inefficiency hearing and a copy of the report to the constable.\n(5) At the continuation of the inefficiency hearing the chairman shall afford a full opportunity of making representations in relation to the matters referred to in the report mentioned in paragraph (4).\n(6) Where at the time the report mentioned in paragraph (4) is sent in terms of paragraph (4)(b) the chairman of the inefficiency hearing is absent, incapacitated or suspended from duty and it is likely that his absence, incapacity or suspension will continue for a period of more than 28 days, the assistant chief constable shall arrange for another constable, being a constable who would have been eligible for appointment as chairman of the inefficiency hearing in terms of regulation 14(1) and (2) in relation to the hearing in question, to carry out in relation to the constable the functions of the chairman of the inefficiency hearing specified in paragraph (5) and in regulations 16 and 17 and, accordingly, in relation to the constable whose performance is under consideration, references to the chairman of the inefficiency hearing in regulations 18 to 21 shall be construed as including any constable appointed in accordance with this paragraph to carry out functions of the chairman of the inefficiency hearing.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/1643/regulation/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:40:39.628199+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."
}