Final Report of the Morris Inquiry: The Case for Change

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
7.92 Other examples include:
Ms BB was disciplined and eventually cleared after an appeal to the Home
Secretary. This took over six years. “I think it is okay having a statutory time limit, as long
as, if it is not adhered to, there is some sort of redress, because what I have found throughout
this whole thing is things are laid down and then when they are not adhered to, you have got
no recourse to anyone, and it is almost like,‘Well, that is the way it is, sorry, you will have to
accept it’.” (Evidence of Ms BB.)
“Delay was a significant factor.There was a four and a quarter year period from the time of
the incident until its resolution. It would be difficult in any arena to justify the same.”
(Submission from the individual involved in High Profile Case (HPC) 1.)
7.93 This not only impacts on the officer under investigation but also others who
are caught up in the process. This is well illustrated by the case of Ms OO, who
made an allegation against an officer which took two years to investigate. This is
not an isolated incident.
“… you have got that just hanging over your head the whole time.Well, if it was that it took
that length of time because [redacted] was sick, and they could not interview him, then I
would have to sort of say, “Can something be done in relation to that?” Because there must
be other cases whereby they have taken a length of time because the person has gone sick,
can he not still be interviewed, even though the person is sick? In criminal law, that would be
the case, would it not?” (Evidence of Ms AA, who made an allegation against an officer.)
155