A Brief Note on the Doctrine of Police Operational Independence

Abstract

A recent study in this journal of the doctrine of police operational independence has raised important questions around that concept ( Malik, 2022 ). New boundaries of tolerance and influence, it is said, need to be negotiated for the Scottish Police Authority to be able to play a more meaningful and independent oversight role in police governance. Yet, in that recent study an essential aspect of the law of Scotland was overlooked as an important component in assessing the doctrine of police operational independence.