Decision Maker: Director for Police, Crime, Criminal Justice and Fire, GM Deputy Mayor, Treasurer GMCA
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
At the Annual General Meeting of the National
Association of Legally
Qualified Chairs (NALQC) a resolution was passed that all members
would be advised not to sit as chairs unless indemnity was
strengthened by PCC’s.
It has been the view of most LQCs that the previous wording
provided does not give adequate protection and they have sought to
take out of the indemnity the words unless the act or omission is
shown to have been in bad faith, reckless or is the product of
gross and obvious irregularity for which panel members are
responsible.
The NALQC Chair and others met with the Home Office on 10 November
2020 to raise the issue. The concerns of the NALQC have also been
relayed to other interested parties, such as the APCC, the APACE
and the Police Superintendents’ Association. The Home Office
is considering legislative change to “cure” the
problem, but this will take time. Pending any legislative change,
the NALQC has given the advice as described above to its
members.
APCC has worked with APACE, Home Office and the National
Association of LQCs to develop a pragmatic solution and a form of
wording for the indemnity which offers both LQCs and PCCs some
reassurance. It offers LQCs assurance that they are covered for
damages unless it is shown in a court or similar that they have
acted in bad faith (this is similar to the wording of the
magistrates' indemnity set out in the Courts Act 2003). It provides
PCCs with a backstop to ensure that LQCs act professionally in
their role as panel chair. The agreed wording is set out
above.
To provide indemnity to Legally Qualified
Chairs and Independent Panel Members of Police Misconduct Hearings
arranged thus far for 2022/23 in accordance with the wording
negotiated by APCC, APACE, and the National Association of LQCs as
follows: -
In respect of the case of ....... which is to be held on
………. Greater
Manchester Combined Authority (the legal entity in which the
property,
rights and liabilities of Police and Crime Commissioner for the
Greater
Manchester Area are vested) agrees to indemnify you as the
Legally
Qualified Chair/ Independent Panel Member in respect of any
liabilities arising (including reasonable costs in connection with
responding to legal proceedings) for anything done or omitted to be
done by you in the discharge of your functions unless, having
received representations or submissions by or on your behalf, you
are proved in a court of law or other tribunal with appropriate
jurisdiction to have acted in bad faith. Furthermore, in the event
of your being held to have any liability for anything done or
omitted to be done by another member of the Panel of which you are
part, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority agrees to indemnify
you in full in respect of any such liability.
Publication date: 08/08/2022
Date of decision: 13/07/2022