Last amended by Crime and Policing Act 2026 in 2026. 6 recorded amendment effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Summary
The Policing and Crime Act 2017 made wide-ranging reforms to policing and criminal justice in England and Wales. It placed a duty on the emergency services to collaborate (Part 1) and enabled police and crime commissioners to take on fire and rescue governance (Part 5); reformed the police complaints and discipline system, renaming the Independent Police Complaints Commission as the Independent Office for Police Conduct and creating a 'super-complaints' mechanism (Part 2); and reformed police powers (Part 4), most notably by introducing statutory time limits on pre-charge bail (an initial 28 days, extendable) and changing how vulnerable people detained under the Mental Health Act are treated. It also provided for the disregard and posthumous pardon of historical convictions for now-abolished consensual homosexual offences ('Turing's Law').
Key Points
- Statutory limits on pre-charge bail — an initial 28 days, extendable on authorisation (Part 4)
- Police 'super-complaints' mechanism for systemic concerns (s.25)
- IPCC reconstituted and renamed the Independent Office for Police Conduct (s.33)
- Disregards and posthumous pardons for abolished consensual homosexual offences — 'Turing's Law' (ss.164-165)
- Emergency-services collaboration duty (Part 1) and PCC fire-and-rescue governance (Part 5)
- Reforms to firearms regulation (Part 6) and financial-sanctions enforcement (Part 8)
Parts & Sections
Amendments History
2022 — Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
20 recorded amendment effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
2021 — Armed Forces Act 2021
7 recorded amendment effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
2017 — The Policing and Crime Act 2017 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2017
7 commencement (coming-into-force) effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
2026 — Crime and Policing Act 2026
6 recorded amendment effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
2017 — The Policing and Crime Act 2017 (Commencement No. 7) Regulations 2018
5 commencement (coming-into-force) effects (legislation.gov.uk changes data).
Frequently asked questions
- How long can I be held on pre-charge bail under the new rules?
- The Policing and Crime Act 2017 introduced statutory time limits on pre-charge bail. The initial limit is 28 days. This period can be extended, first by a senior officer and subsequently by a court, if necessary. The Act also established a presumption that suspects should be released without bail unless bail is considered necessary and proportionate.
- What happened to the Independent Police Complaints Commission?
- The Act renamed the Independent Police Complaints Commission as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). It is now led by a single Director General. Additionally, the Act created a 'super-complaints' mechanism, allowing designated bodies to raise concerns with HM Inspectorate about policing features that may be harming the public.
- What is 'Turing's Law' and who does it help?
- Known as 'Turing's Law', this provision grants posthumous pardons to deceased individuals convicted of now-abolished consensual homosexual offences. It also extends a disregard-and-pardon scheme to living persons who have had such convictions disregarded. This effectively removes the criminal record for these specific historical offences.
- What is a police 'super-complaint'?
- A 'super-complaint' is a mechanism that allows designated bodies to make formal complaints to HM Inspectorate. This can be done regarding features of policing that are, or may be, harming the public. It is designed to address systemic concerns rather than individual incidents.
- Did the Act change how police work with fire and rescue services?
- The Act placed a duty on emergency services to collaborate with one another. It also enabled police and crime commissioners to take on the governance of fire and rescue services. These changes are found in Parts 1 and 5 of the legislation, respectively.