A change to the police vetting law is being forwarded for review at the Ministry of Justice, on the argument that changes in position should no longer serve as a way to suspend verification. In essence, the draft aims to give re-evaluation bodies the ability to continue the procedure even when an official is transferred, moved laterally, or demoted.
What the proposed intervention provides
According to the explanatory report submitted to the Ministry of Justice, a change to the vetting law is being sought to give the bodies the authority not to interrupt verification of police officials when the subjects move to other posts.
The draft proposals say that the transfer, parallel movement, and demotion of a subject for whom re-evaluation has begun should not constitute grounds for interrupting the process. This would pave the way for a final decision by the evaluation body, whether for confirmation in office or exclusion from the police.
Why this change is being sought
The reason emerging from the explanatory report is linked to the frequent movements of managers who are subject to checks. Those very movements appear to have exposed a procedural gap, which is now being addressed through a legal amendment.
According to the data included in the report, since January 2023, six lots have been drawn for 159 senior officials: 129 chiefs, seven Guard directors, and 23 AMP employees. At the same time, structural movements have been frequent, raising questions about the real effectiveness of the filter if the process can be interrupted by a change of post.
Where the draft currently stands
According to the television report, the issue is currently being reviewed by the Directorate of Codification. This means the intervention is still at the procedural stage and is not an approved change.
It remains to be seen whether the final wording will keep the same line or be softened during the institutional review, a stage where drafts often change significantly from the first version.
How the vetting filter for police works
Police vetting is based on three main pillars: asset control, background control, and assessment of personal abilities.
In the background check, according to the legal framework, it is verified whether the official has ties to crime or not. The other components aim to test the source of assets and the ability to perform the function. It is precisely within this threefold filter that the request is being made for administrative movements to no longer produce procedural interruptions.
If this change passes, a transfer or demotion will no longer be enough to call into question the continuation of verification.
For a process that has long been presented as a cleansing instrument in the police, the real test remains implementation and not only the new wording in the law.