(1) The Administrator may award a medal, to be known as the Police Service Medal, to a member who, subject to this section, has completed 10 years continuous meritorious service as a member.
(2) A member is taken to have completed 10 years continuous service whether or not the member was seconded to a prescribed entity for all or part of the 10 years of continuous service.
(3) A member has not completed 10 years continuous service as a member if, during that 10 year period, the member was granted a period of unpaid leave by the Commissioner, except for secondment to a prescribed entity.
(4) However, if a member was granted unpaid leave (other than for secondment to a prescribed entity) but completes 2 or more periods of service totalling 10 years, the member is taken to have completed 10 years continuous service.
(5) Also, the Commissioner may determine that periods of service totalling 10 years may be counted as continuous in relation to a member if, during the period that included the 10 years, all of the following happened:
(a) the member resigned under section 20 ;
(b) within 2 years after the date of resignation – the member applied for re-appointment as a member;
(c) the member was subsequently re-appointed as a member.
(6) The Police Service Medal must be in a form, and with attachments, as the Administrator thinks fit.
(7) In this section:
"prescribed entity" means any of the following:
(a) a police force established by an Act of the Commonwealth, a State or another Territory;
(b) the Northern Territory Police Association Incorporated;
(c) the Australian Crime Commission established under the Australian Crime Commission Establishment Act 2002 (Clth) or any of its predecessors, including, for example, the National Crime Commission;
(d) another entity prescribed by regulation.