Report Summary
Issued 17 November 2025, this FOI response provides information held by the Authority regarding Police Appeals Tribunals related to dismissals from April 2020 to October 2025.
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Response
The Scottish Police Authority has considered your request under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act (FOISA).
The Authority can confirm that information is held.
We would also refer you to a previous response FOI 2025/26-013 available on our Disclosure Log which provides much of the information requested.
Each part of your request is replicated below along with our response for the full period of your request.
For each of the past 5 years, please provide a breakdown of how many Police Appeal Tribunals have been held in respect of dismissals for police officers and how many appeals have been upheld in each year, and how many are currently ongoing?
|
Period |
Appeals against dismissal |
||
|
Received |
Allowed |
Refused |
|
|
1 April 2020 - 31 March 2021 |
1 |
1 |
Nil |
|
1 April 2021 - 31 March 2022 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
1 April 2022 – 31 March 2023 |
51 |
3 |
1 |
|
1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 |
32 |
3 |
Nil |
|
1 April 2025 – 31 October 2025 |
13 |
Nil |
Nil |
Notes:
- One appeal was withdrawn.
- One further appeal in 2024-25 was an appeal against a decision to demote an officer, not an appeal against dismissal.
- Appeal ongoing.
Please provide the name of the Chair of the Misconduct Hearing for each instance of an upheld PAT appeal against dismissal over the same time period
The following individuals chaired Misconduct Hearings where appeal of a decision to dismiss was allowed by the Police Appeals Tribunal.
|
Period |
Chair |
|
1 April 2020-31 March 2021 |
Chief Superintendent Alan Wright |
|
1 April 2021-31 March 2022 |
No appeals allowed |
|
1 April 2022-31 March 2023 |
Chief Superintendent Catriona Paton x2 Chief Superintendent Sean Scott |
|
1 April 2023-31 March 2024 |
No appeals allowed |
|
1 April 2024-31 March 2025 |
Chief Superintendent Suzanne Chow Chief Superintendent Lynn Ratcliff Chief Superintendent Catriona Paton |
|
1 April 2025-31 October 2025 |
Not applicable |
