AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

POLICE ORDINANCE 1966

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

No. 6 of 1966

	The Police Ordinance 1927-1964 provides that a member of the Police Force is not at liberty to resign his office or withdraw from his duties unless expressly permitted to do so by the Minister or his delegate or unless he gives three months notice in writing of his intention to resign or withdraw to the Minister.

	At present it is a matter of discretion whether a member may be permitted to resign from the Force without having given three months’ notice or whether a former member may be reappointed to the Force.

	It is intended that, in regard to the contesting of a Commonwealth or State election, these discretionary provisions will be amended to provide that members of the Force will be entitled, as a right, to resign to contest an election and, if unsuccessful, they will be entitled to reappointment without loss of rank or seniority.  This amendment will afford members of the Police Force political rights similar to those enjoyed by members of the New South Wales Police Force and officers of the Commonwealth Public Service.

	Under the existing provisions of the Ordinance it is possible for a member of the Force, after giving the required notice of three months, to continue on in the Force for any length of time and then at any time to withdraw altogether at his own convenience.  This anomaly will be removed by requiring a member to resign from the Force not earlier than three months and not later than four months after the date on which notice of his intention to resign was given to the Commissioner.