Police ranks
Sections 9H and 13 of the 1996 Act are the key current provisions in relation to police ranks.
	Section 9H concerns the ranks that may be held in the Metropolitan Police. Subsection (1) provides that the ranks of that force are those prescribed in regulations made under section 50. However, the effect of subsection (2) is that such regulations must (in addition to the ranks of commissioner, deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, deputy assistant commissioner and commander (see the provisions of the 2011 Act below)) include the ranks of chief superintendent, superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable.
	Section 13 concerns the ranks for the other police forces (those outside London maintained in accordance with section 2 of the 1996 Act). Again, the ranks of those forces are those prescribed in regulations made under section 50. However (in addition to the ranks of chief constable, deputy chief constable and assistant chief constable (see the provisions of the 2011 Act below)), these must include the ranks of chief superintendent, superintendent, chief inspector, inspector, sergeant and constable (subsection (1)).
	The 2011 Act makes provision for chief officer ranks, that is, the ranks above that of chief superintendent. For forces outside London, sections 2, 39 and 40 of the 2011 Act require every force to have a chief constable, one or more deputy chief constables and one or more assistant chief constables respectively. In the case of the Metropolitan Police, sections 4, 43, 45, 46 and 47 of the 2011 Act require there to be a commissioner of police for the metropolis, one deputy commissioner, one or more assistant commissioners, one or more deputy assistant commissioners and one or more commanders respectively.
	The City of London Police Act 1839 ("the 1839 Act") makes provision for the City of London Police. Section 3 of that Act empowers the Common Council to appoint a Commissioner of the City of London Police. (That Act does not require the appointment of persons to any other particular rank.)
	Section 50(1) of the 1996 Act provides the general power for the Secretary of State to make regulations as to the government, administration and conditions of service of police forces. Section 50(1)(a) specifies that this may include provision with respect to the ranks held by members of police forces.
	The relevant regulations made under section 50 are the Police Regulations 2003 (S.I. 2003/527, as amended). Regulation 4 prescribes the ranks in relation to police forces maintained under section 2 of the 1996 Act, the Metropolitan Police and the City of London police. The prescribed ranks are the same as those provided for in the 1996 Act and 2011 Act.