The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025

Made: 10th June 2025

Laid before the Scottish Parliament: 12th June 2025

Coming into force: 25th June 2025

The Scottish Ministers make the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 22(2) and (3)(b) of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025[^f00001] and all other powers enabling them to do so.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 25 June 2025.

• (2) In these Regulations—

• “the 2012 Act” means the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012[^f00002],

• “the Act” means the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025.

Appointed day

2

25 June 2025 is the day appointed for the coming into force of the following provisions of the Act—

• (a) section 1 (meaning of “2006 Act” and “2012 Act”),

• (b) section 2 (code of ethics),

• (c) section 3 (duty of candour),

• (d) section 4 (vetting code of practice),

• (e) section 5 (procedures for vetting),

• (f) section 6 (liability of the Scottish Police Authority for unlawful conduct of the chief constable),

• (g) section 7 (procedures for misconduct: functions of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner),

• (h) section 8 (procedures for misconduct: former constables),

• (i) section 9 (Scottish police advisory list and Scottish police barred list), only for the purpose of making regulations under section 59A(6) and (7) of the 2012 Act (as inserted by section 9 of the Act),

• (j) section 12 (investigations into matters involving persons serving with the police),

• (k) section 13 (complaints made by persons serving with the police),

• (l) section 16 (review of arrangements for investigations of whistleblowing complaints),

• (m) section 19 (provision of information to the Commissioner),

• (n) section 20 (advisory board to the Commissioner).

Signed

ANGELA CONSTANCE — A member of the Scottish Government — 10th June 2025

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Explanatory Note

These Regulations bring into force on 25 June 2025 sections 1 to 9, 12, 13, 16, 19 and 20 of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 (“the Act”). Section 9 of the Act, which inserts section 59A (Scottish police advisory list and Scottish police barred list) into the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, is commenced only for the purpose of making regulations under section 59A(6) and (7).

The Bill for the Act received Royal Assent on 4 March 2025. Sections 21 to 23 came into force the following day.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 2025 asp 5.

[^f00002]: 2012 asp 8.