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Wallace announces review of Scottish Police Complaints Procedure
28/09/1999
The way in which complaints against the police are handled by Scotland's eight police forces is to be independently examined, Justice Minister Jim Wallace announced today.
The thematic inspection of the complaints procedure by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland will form part of the Scottish Executive's current consideration of the steps needed to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated.
Announcing the review during evidence to the Equal Opportunities Committee of the Scottish Parliament Jim Wallace said it was essential that the public retained confidence in the police and the way in which complaints against them were investigated.
Jim Wallace said:
"In July the Scottish Executive accepted the Macpherson Report (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry) recommendation to consider what steps can and should be taken to ensure that serious complaints against police officers are independently investigated. I can today announce that Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland, Bill Taylor, will conduct a thematic inspection of the complaints system in Scotland's eight police forces. He will also consult with police authorities on their role in the current process.
"In a modern democracy it is not sufficient that the police complaints procedure is fair and rigorous - it must be seen by the public to be fair and rigorous. The public must retain confidence in the police and the way in which complaints against them are investigated.
"The Home Office are carrying out a feasibility study into this recommendation, which will report in April 2000, and we will continue to liaise with them on this. It is also important to carry out additional work of a specific Scottish nature on a similar timescale. Scottish Ministers will wish to consider these, along with responses to our consultation on the Lawrence Inquiry action plan, in developing proposals for the future complaints system in Scotland."
BACKGROUND
1. The Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland is appointed by the Queen under the Police (Scotland) Act 1967 to visit and inquire into the state and efficiency of police forces. In addition to carrying out inspections of individual forces, the Inspectorate carries out a number of thematic inspections on subjects such as domestic violence to compare forces' practice in a particular area.
2. The last thematic inspection on complaints was carried out in 1992 and led to the Inspectorate being given powers to review the conduct of complaint investigations.
News Release: SE0736/99
28 September, 1999