POLICE Scotland plans to establish a panel of ethical advisors are back on the table after initially being rejected.

The force says it is conducting "research" into an option first floated two years ago amid human rights concerns.

In August 2014, after rows over armed policing and stop and search procedures, it was first reported that Police Scotland was considering setting up an Ethical Advisory Panel to scrutinise force policy and actions.

According to reports in our sister paper The Herald at the time, it was to function as a “moral” sounding board and be chaired by a former police chief.

The proposal had been discussed at the Police Scotland Executive and put out for wider consultation.

However, a Scottish Police Authority (SPA) paper from Stephen House’s time as chief constable noted the plan was dead, stating: “It was determined not to proceed with dedicated Ethical Advisory Panels.

"It is considered that this action can now be closed.”

The proposal was discarded despite a senior officer putting together a detailed plan outlining its merits. Richie Adams, a chief inspector at the force, wrote to the then deputy chief constable Neil Richardson about setting up panels.

The former Fulbright Scholar wrote: “At present, No Ethical Advisory Panels (EAP) exist within policing. However there is increasing thinking that the development of these bodies would be useful within the police service.”

“The suggested role of EAP is to be proactive. This would allow Police Scotland to consider issues before they arise and put in place policy to deal with issues that the service anticipates may be problematic in the future.”

Adams cited examples of issues which could, potentially, be considered by a Panel, such as the hospitality officers could accept and tactical policing matters like “undercover deployments”.

In his paper he also listed the individuals who had been consulted on the plan: Professor Rebecca Wallace, a human rights expert at Robert Gordon University; John Scott QC; and Paul Rumney, a senior officer at Greater Manchester Police.

Senior figures in the Scottish Government, SPA, Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC), as well as the chair of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, were also consulted.

However, despite the SPA paper noting that panels would not be progressed, Chief Superintendent Paul Main told the Sunday Herald on Friday that an ethics “committee” was still being considered.

He said: "Police Scotland supports the proposal for an ethics committee or ethics council which was indicated by Chief Constable Phil Gormley when he gave evidence to the Justice Committee earlier this year.

"It's a valid opportunity for us moving forward.

"Research is currently progressing on how this can be implemented.”

Asked what had changed since the idea was scrapped, a spokesperson for the force said: “As stated, this was indicated by the Chief Constable earlier this year.”

The force also flagged up the fact that it was the first mainland police service in the UK to establish a Code of Ethics.

However, this document contains generalised statements it expects officers to heed, such as: 'I shall behave in a way which reflects the values of policing in Scotland.'

Since the panel plan was first floated, Police Scotland's human rights record has come under severe scrutiny.

Sheku Bayoh died in police custody in May 2015 after contact with several police officers on a Kirkcaldy street in Fife, the circumstances of which are still being investigated.

The force was also criticism for unlawfully using its spying powers in a bid to flush out journalists’ sources.

Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur said: “The ethics boards were to be introduced in response to serious questions over the role of armed police and the unacceptable use of stop and search.

“It would be shameful if they were nothing more than a shabby spin operation designed to spare the former Chief Constable's blushes.

"These panels were a sensible idea when they were proposed and they are a sensible idea now. They should go ahead."