Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
View on legislation.gov.ukLast amended by Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 in 2005. Replaced the old arrestable/non-arrestable distinction with a single power of arrest for any offence, subject to a necessity test.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Summary
The foundational statute governing police powers and the rights of suspects in England & Wales. Regulates stop and search, arrest, detention, questioning, identification procedures, and the admissibility of evidence. Supplemented by detailed Codes of Practice (Codes A-H).
Key Points
- Stop and search powers and safeguards (Part I, ss.1-7)
- Powers of entry, search, and seizure (Part II, ss.8-22)
- Arrest without warrant — reasonable grounds for suspecting (s.24)
- Detention time limits (s.41 — 24 hours, extendable to 36/96 hours)
- Right to have someone informed (s.56)
- Right to legal advice (s.58)
- Codes of Practice A-H with statutory force
- Exclusion of unfair evidence (s.78)
- Confession evidence — oppression and unreliability (s.76)
Parts & Sections
Amendments History
2003 — Criminal Justice Act 2003
Reformed the arrest powers under s.24, extending the power of arrest without warrant to all offences subject to a necessity test.
2005 — Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Replaced the old arrestable/non-arrestable distinction with a single power of arrest for any offence, subject to a necessity test.