Frequently Asked Questions

If you think you have been treated badly by the police, or a police officer or member of police staff was rude to you or used excessive force, you have the right to make a complaint. You can submit a complaint by contacting the police directly (by phone, letter or attending a police station) or contact the Independent Police Commission. Alternatively, you should contact a solicitor who may be able to represent you and submit a complaint on your behalf.

You should submit your complaint as soon as possible after the incident and, at latest, within 12 months of the date of the incident.

If you think you have been treated badly by the police and have suffered damage as a result (such as physical injury, psychiatric injury or financial loss) you may be able to make a civil claim for damages against the police. There are many potential claims, depending on the circumstances. These include false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, discrimination, assault and battery, breach of the Human Rights Act etc.

You should contact a solicitor as soon as possible after the incident to obtain advice on any possible claims. You may also be able to make a complaint against the police (see “How do I make a complaint against the police?”)

"Legal Aid" is a form of public funding provided by the Legal Services Commission, to help with the cost of legal advice for people who can't afford it. Whether you will are granted legal aid will depend upon the type of legal problem you have; you financial status, whether there is a reasonable chance of winning your case and whether it is worth the time and money needed to win.

To check if you are financially eligible to obtain legal aid, use the legal aid calculator on the Legal Services Commission’s website at http://www.legalservices.gov.uk/civil/guidance/eligibility_calculator.asp.

If you have been dismissed from your job and your employer doesn't have a valid reason for dismissing you and/or has acted unreasonably, you may have a claim for unfair dismissal. If you think you’ve been unfairly dismissed, you should first try appealing under your employer's dismissal or disciplinary procedures. If you are not satisfied with the result, you should contact a solicitor for advice on whether to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal.

You should usually have at least one year’s continuous employment in order to claim unfair dismissal. There are certain circumstances in which you do not need a year’s employment as the dismissal will be automatically unfair. These include where you’ve been dismissed for:

• using, or attempting to use, a statutory employment right (for example, taking parental leave)
• becoming pregnant
• your membership / non-membership of a trade union

You must submit a claim to the Employment Tribunal within three months from the date of dismissal (if you have lost your job) or from the date of the act complained of eg sexual harassment, race discrimination, sex discrimination etc. You may be able to submit your claim late in certain circumstances.

If you think you’re being discriminated against at work by reason of your gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability etc; you should make a complaint in writing to your employer under their grievance procedure. If you are not satisfied with the result, you should contact a solicitor for advice on whether to make a claim to the Employment Tribunal.