LQA roles

The role of Legally Qualified Advisor

The Legally Qualified Advisor is a legally qualified person held on a list maintained by MOPAC for the purpose of supporting police misconduct panels (PMPs). The Legal Advisor is responsible for providing legal and procedural advice to police misconduct panels taking place within the London Region, specifically Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and Ministry of Defence Police.

The Legal Advisor is appointed to advise the panel members on points of law, or procedure arising in the pre-hearings and hearings.  The Legal Advisor must also (if delegated by the Chair) draft the panel’s outcome report. However, they are independent from the panel and play no part in the decision-making process.

The Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 provide that a Legal Advisor will be appointed to support the chair and panel where the officer concerned is a senior officer.  Legal advisors will also be appointed to support the chair of senior officer accelerated hearings.  

To complement its existing Advisors, MOPAC is looking to appoint a further thirty Advisors of misconduct panels.

Appointments will be made on a five-year term to Advisor hearings as and when required - the time commitment is variable. Individuals must be willing to commit to a 6-10 hearings per year. Hearing lengths average 3-10 days and in exceptional cases can extend for a number of weeks.

Nature of Cases

The PMP is likely to be convened to hear allegations of serious cases of misconduct by police officers. The maximum outcome at this hearing would be dismissal from the police service without notice. Cases would include for example, allegations of criminal acts, including sexual offences or serious breaches of the standards of behaviour expected of police officers such as honesty and integrity.  

PMP Advisors are required to be able to travel as cases will usually be held in the London region.  The Metropolitan Police Service currently have hearing suites at locations in  Sutton, Hammersmith and Fulham and Southwark. Candidates must be willing to travel to all three locations and any other location within the Metropolitan Police District that may be introduced.

LQAs are formally appointed to hearings in accordance with the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020, as amended by the Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2024.

Link to Police regulations The Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 (legislation.gov.uk)

The Police (Conduct) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (legislation.gov.uk)

Key Document