Whether an officer had reasonable cause to arrest somebody without a warrant depended upon an objective assessment of the information available to him, and not upon his subjective beliefs. The court had three questions to ask (per Woolf LJ): ‘(a) Did the arresting officer suspect that the person arrested was guilty of the offence? The … Continue reading Castorina v Chief Constable of Surrey: CA 10 Jun 1988
The section required a constable to have reasonable grounds for suspecting that an arrestable offence had been committed before he could arrest without warrant. Held: Bingham LJ said: ‘It is not of course to be expected that a police constable in the heat of an emergency, or while in hot pursuit of a suspected criminal, … Continue reading Chapman v Director of Public Prosecutions: CA 1989
The appellants appealed from dismissal of their claims for wrongful imprisonment by the respondent. Each had attended at a police station for interview on allegations of theft. They had been arrested and held pending interview and then released. Mr Rowland had left a box in the safe security system under the appellants control. They variously … Continue reading Al-Fayed and others v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and others: CA 25 Nov 2004
A store detective said the plaintiffs had stolen from the store. He was wrong. The plaintiffs sought damages from the defendant for false imprisonment.
Held: If the police use their own discretion to arrest a suspect, an informer is not liable . .
The six claimants sought damages for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment. Each had been arrested on an officer’s suspicion. They operated CCTV equipment, and it appeared that tapes showing the commission of an offence had been tampered with. Each . .
Complaint was made about the slipshod completion of applications for search warrants. The nature of the review of compliance with Section 24(4) was to be that appropriate to Section 24(6). Underhill J held: ’26. The terms of s-s. (5) are new and there is no authority on their effect. The previous s. 24 (6) provided … Continue reading C, Regina (on the Application of) v ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court: Admn 26 Sep 2006
The claimant challenged the legality of a search warrant and the method of its execution on his home. He complained that the police had ensured publicity for the execution of the warrant. Held: The obtaining of a search warrant is never to be treated as a formality. It authorises the invasion of a person’s home. … Continue reading Redknapp and Another v Commissioner of the City of London Police and Another: Admn 23 May 2008
The claimant, a teacher, said he had been unlawfully arrested and detained after an allegation of assault from a pupil. Having attended the police station voluntarily, he said that the circumstances did not satisfy the required precondition that an arrest was necessary. He said that the fact of the arrest would operate against him in … Continue reading Richardson v The Chief Constable of West Midlands Police: QBD 29 Mar 2011
The claimant sought damages after his arrest by armed police. The defendant appealed a substantial award of damages.
Held: The section required the officer to have reasonable grounds for suspecting the arrestees to be guilty of the offence. . .
