Report Summary
This report provides members of the Complaints & Conduct Committee with an overview of Police (Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 Update.
To access the full document please open the PDF document above.
To view as accessible content please use the sections below. (Note that tables and some appendixes are not available as accessible content).
Meeting
The publication discussed was referenced in the meeting below
Complaints & Conduct Committee - 5 June 2025
Date : 05 June 2025
Location : Online
Background
The Police (Ethics, Conduct & Scrutiny) Scotland Act 2025 (PECSS) was introduced as a Bill to the Scottish Parliament on 6 June 2023 to fulfil the Scottish Government’s commitment to bring forward legislation to deliver Lady Elish Angiolini’s recommendations which require legislation following her ‘Independent Review of Police
Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues’.
The Act covers a range of topics related to ethics and conduct for policing, as well as the functions and governance of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) and supports independent scrutiny by PIRC and Scottish Police Authority (SPA).
Provisions of the Act relative to Police Scotland include:
- Establishment of the Code of Ethics for Police Scotland into
statute.
- The introduction of a Duty of Candour as an additional Standard of
Professional Behaviour.
- The introduction of a Barred and Advisory list for Police Scotland.
- Legislation to ensure that an officer cannot evade disciplinary
proceedings by resigning or retiring during an investigation,
securing an outcome and justice for the complainers.
These provisions, along with others in the Act, aim to positively enhance culture and behaviours within policing and, consequently, seeks to enhance public confidence.
To ensure legislative compliance with the PECSS act it was necessary for a project to be established and led by Police Scotland’s Professional Standards Department.
