England and Wales Case Law

Greater Manchester Police, R (on the application of) v Police Misconduct Panel

Greater Manchester Police, R (on the application of) v Police Misconduct Panel [2025] EWHC 3018 (Admin) (17 November 2025)

The High Court dismissed a judicial review of a police misconduct panel’s sanction decision, holding that a final written warning for gross misconduct was lawful and adequately reasoned.

• Police misconduct
• Judicial review
• Professional discipline
• Sanctions in disciplinary proceedings
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Mitigation in disciplinary cases

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Metropolitan Police Commissioner, R (On the Application Of) v Police Misconduct Panel

Metropolitan Police Commissioner, R (On the Application Of) v Police Misconduct Panel [2025] EWHC 1462 (Admin) (17 June 2025)

The High Court quashed a police misconduct panel’s no-case-to-answer decision and remitted the allegations for reconsideration by a new panel.

• Judicial review
• Police misconduct
• No case to answer (nca)
• Application of galbraith test
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Open justice

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Metropolitan Police Commissioner, R (on the application of) v Police Misconduct Panel

The High Court quashed a police misconduct panel’s no-case-to-answer findings, holding the panel acted unreasonably by dismissing allegations at half-time.

• Judicial review
• Police misconduct
• Standards of professional behaviour
• No case to answer (nca)
• Application of galbraith test
• Disciplinary proceedings

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O'Connor, R (On the Application Of) v Panel Chair (Police Misconduct Panel) (Rev1)

O'Connor, R (On the Application Of) v Panel Chair (Police Misconduct Panel) (Rev1) [2025] EWCA Civ 27 (22 January 2025)

The Court of Appeal held that a police misconduct panel gave inadequate reasons on seriousness, culpability and harm when imposing a final written warning.

• Judicial review
• Police misconduct
• Sanctions in professional discipline
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Sexual harassment
• Gross misconduct

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The Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police v A Police Misconduct Panel

The panel's findings of fact and conclusion of gross misconduct stand, but there were material errors in the panel's reasoning regarding the seriousness of harm, the change in standards, and the sufficiency of reasons for sanction. The outcome is finely balanced and, due to these errors, the case must be remitted for reconsideration of sanction by a differently constituted panel.

Source excerpt

• Police misconduct
• Gross misconduct
• Disciplinary sanctions
• Judicial review
• Public confidence
• Standards of professional behaviour

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Dalton, R (On the Application Of) v Chair of the Police Appeals Tribunal

Dalton, R (On the Application Of) v Chair of the Police Appeals Tribunal [2024] EWHC 1116 (Admin) (14 May 2024)

Permission for judicial review was refused in a challenge to a Police Appeals Tribunal decision upholding a misconduct dismissal for excessive force and related findings.

• Police misconduct
• Judicial review
• Bias
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Adequacy of reasons
• Use of force

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Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police v Police Misconduct Panel

Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police v Police Misconduct Panel [2023] EWHC 2693 (KB) (27 October 2023)

Judicial review of a police misconduct panel decision. The High Court upheld the findings of gross misconduct but quashed the sanction and remitted the case.

• Judicial review of disciplinary decisions
• Police misconduct
• Gross misconduct
• Sanctions in disciplinary proceedings
• Public confidence in policing
• Standards of professional behaviour

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R (on the application of Officer W80) v Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct and others

The Supreme Court held that police disciplinary proceedings use the civil law self-defence test, not the criminal law test, when assessing use of force.

• Police disciplinary proceedings
• Use of force
• Self-defence
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Misconduct
• Gross misconduct

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Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, R (On the Application Of) v Police Misconduct Panel

Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, R (On the Application Of) v Police Misconduct Panel [2023] EWHC 589 (Admin) (17 March 2023)

Judicial review of a police misconduct sanction. The High Court upheld the challenge in relation to the Panel’s final written warning and held dismissal was the only rational outcome.

• Police misconduct
• Gross misconduct
• Disciplinary proceedings
• Judicial review
• Sanctions in police discipline
• Standards of professional behaviour

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The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, R. (On the Application Of) v Michel & Anor

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, R. (On the Application Of) v Michel & Anor [2022] EWHC 2711 (Admin) (28 October 2022)

The High Court quashed a Police Appeals Tribunal decision after finding it applied the wrong test for unreasonableness in a police misconduct appeal.

• Judicial review of tribunal decisions
• Police misconduct
• Standards of professional behaviour
• Unreasonableness test
• Expert evidence on memory
• Judicial-review

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