Police Discipline

Unrivalled knowledge, experience and expertise in the field of Police Discipline and all it encounters, we are a favoured set with Police Officers and those who regulate them.

Overview

QEB Hollis Whiteman has one of the country’s top Police Discipline teams. We have consistently been involved in the most high-profile cases, from Raoul Moat to Plebgate and the Savile investigation. We specialise in providing representation and advice at all levels throughout all proceedings, bringing our expertise in other fields such as Public Law and General Crime to the fore when a case crosses into other areas, as it so often does.

Our Experience

QEB Hollis Whiteman has marked strength in depth in Police Discipline. We have experience at every level of gross misconduct cases, police appeals tribunals, inquests, judicial review applications and police civil actions. We represent both the regulator and the membership. We have particular experience in representing police officers in linked Criminal and Public Law proceedings; we are mindful from the outset of the potential for alleged criminal liability and wider culpability. We are often instructed on high-profile cases, in cases that are at the forefront of changes to the law and on matters of national importance.

Our team consists of Barristers that operate almost exclusively within the field of Police Discipline. The team, which includes an ex-police officer, are well aware of the stress and difficulties that discipline issues can bring; we provide a tailored, personal response to each case, we are committed to the defence of the individual and the preservation of their career. Members are also experienced at presenting cases on behalf of the regulator, bringing with them the experience they have gleaned from prosecuting, both generally and more specifically from the regulatory arena. Some members have also acted as legal assessors, advising hearing panels on the application of the law in proceedings. 

All members of the Police Discipline team are also criminal practitioners who bring the advocacy skills and the robust challenge of the criminal Courts to the arena of Police Discipline with a full understanding of the context in which police operate. Members are also experienced in Public Law, and have dealt with judicial review applications for and against the regulator, represented officers and forces at inquests and represented participants in police-related public inquiries.

Members of the Police Discipline team have been responsible for drafting force policies, advising the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Federation on issues of national importance (e.g. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the Regulation of Police Pursuit Drivers) and providing legal and advocacy training to police federation representatives and police forces throughout the country. We host regular seminars and speak at others, including the annual police federation conference.