HC Deb 19 April 1994 vol 241 cc458-9W
Mr. Trotter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals have been made to him by police officers in each of the last five years and how many such cases involved disciplinary proceedings which had resulted in(a) dismissal, (b) the officer being required to resign and (c) reduction in rank; how many such appeals in each category were decided in each of the last five years; in how many cases the appeals were (i) upheld or (ii) varied; and where reduction in rank was involved what was the reduction originally proposed and what was imposed after the appeal.

Mr. Charles Wardle

Statistical information relating to police disciplinary appeals is prepared on the basis of cases completed in each calendar year. Figures for the last five years are as follows:

Appeals completed 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
Total number of appeals 42 45 43 58 35
Total appeals against dismissal, 4 12 8 14 8
of which:
appeal allowed 1 2
punishment varied 3 6 3 1
Total appeals against requirement to resign, 26 21 21 20 19
of which:
appeal allowed 1 1
punishment varied 5 4 1 4 4
Total appeals against reduction in rank, 7 6 2 12 3
of which:
appeal allowed 1
punishment varied 4 2 1 2 2
Analysis of reductions in rank
Original punishment Result of appeal
1989
Chief inspector to constable Reduced to sergeant
Inspector to sergeant Varied to financial punishment
Inspector to Constable Appeal dismissed
Sergeant to Constable Varied to financial punishment
Sergeant to Constable Varied to reprimand
Sergeant to Constable (two cases) Appeal dismissed
1990
Inspector to sergeant Allowed
Inspector to Constable Appeal dismissed
Sergeant to Constable Varied to financial punishment
Sergeant to Constable (three cases) Appeal dismissed
1991
Chief inspector to inspector Varied to reprimand
Sergeant to Constable Appeal dismissed
1992
Chief inspector to inspector Appeal dismissed
Inspector to Sergeant (three cases) Appeal dismissed
Sergeant to Constable (two cases) Varied to financial punishment
Sergeant to Constable (six cases) Appeal dismissed
1993
Chief inspector to inspector Varied to financial punishment
Inspector to Constable Appeal dismissed
Sergeant to Constable Varied to financial punishment