{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-public-order-and-criminal-justice-scotland-act-2006/section-33A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-public-order-and-criminal-justice-scotland-act-2006/section-33A.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2006/10",
  "legislation_title": "Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/police-public-order-and-criminal-justice-scotland-act-2006",
  "path": "section/33A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "33A",
  "heading": "General functions of the Commissioner",
  "text": "The Commissioner's general functions are—\n(a) to maintain, and to secure the maintenance by the Authority and the chief constable of, suitable arrangements for—\n(i) the handling of relevant complaints; and\n(ii) the examination of the handling of relevant complaints and the reconsideration of such complaints in accordance with sections 34 to 41;\n(b) where directed to do so by the appropriate prosecutor—\n(i) to investigate any circumstances in which there is an indication that a person who is, or has been, a person serving with the police may have committed an offence (regardless of when those circumstances occurred);\n(ii) to investigate, on behalf of the relevant procurator fiscal, the circumstances of any death involving a person serving with the police which that procurator fiscal is required to investigate under section 1 of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 , whether or not the circumstances occurred in the course of the person’s duty, employment or appointment;\n(c) where requested to do so by the Authority or the chief constable, to investigate and report on certain serious incidents involving the police (see section 41B); and\n(d) to investigate other matters relating to the Authority or the Police Service where the Commissioner considers that it would be in the public interest to do so (see section 41C).",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 33A inserted (1.4.2013) by Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (asp 8), ss. 62, 129(2) (with s. 100); S.S.I. 2013/51, art. 2 (with transitional provisions and savings in S.S.I. 2013/121, arts. 1(1), 11)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 33A(b)(i) substituted (25.6.2025) by Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (asp 5), ss. 12(a), 22(2); S.S.I. 2025/175, reg. 2(j)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 33A(b)(ii) substituted (15.6.2017) by Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 (asp 2), s. 42(2), sch. 2 para. 11(2); S.S.I. 2017/155, reg. 2 (with regs. 4(2) 5)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 33A(b)(ii) inserted (25.6.2025) by Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (asp 5), ss. 12(b), 22(2); S.S.I. 2025/175, reg. 2(j)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "asp/2025/5",
      "affecting_title": "Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025"
    },
    {
      "type": "word repealed",
      "affecting": "asp/2025/5",
      "affecting_title": "Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025"
    },
    {
      "type": "inserted",
      "affecting": "asp/2025/5",
      "affecting_title": "Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2006/10/section/33A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:16:12.377722+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."
}