PACE Codes of Practice
Statutory codes of practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) that govern how police officers exercise their powers, including stop and search, arrest, detention, and the interviewing of suspects.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
PACE 1984 gives the Home Secretary power to issue codes of practice covering the exercise of police powers, and there are currently eight codes (A to H) dealing with matters such as stop and search (Code A), the detention, treatment and questioning of suspects (Code C), and the audio and visual recording of interviews (Codes E and F). Code C, for example, is described in its own text as the 'Revised Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by Police Officers'.
The codes are not themselves criminal offences, but breach of a relevant provision can render evidence liable to exclusion and can found civil or disciplinary proceedings against officers. Code C requires that 'This Code of Practice must be readily available at all police stations for consultation by' police officers, police staff, and detained persons, and a detained person has 'the right to consult these Codes of Practice' while in custody, alongside their right to legal advice and to have someone informed of their arrest.
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Official sources
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