The giving of a caution was possible after an inadmissible confession, but wise practice required police officers to obtain an admission on tape first. Citations: Times 04-Mar-1998, [1998] EWHC Admin 145 Links: Bailii Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice Code C Criminal Practice, Police Updated: 27 May 2022; Ref: scu.138266
Police officers questioning a publican after acquiring a suspicion of after hours drinking should have given the caution first and then interviewed him under the codes. Citations: Times 05-Mar-1998 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of Practice Code C Criminal Practice Updated: 18 May 2022; Ref: scu.78290
The court considered whether, and if so, the circumstances in which, police officers may be liable in negligence to suspects for failure to comply with the Codes of Practice. Citations: [1998] EWCA Civ 1305 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 66 67 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Negligence, Torts – Other, Police Updated: 23 November … Continue reading Ahmed v Chief Constable of West Midlands Police: CA 28 Jul 1998
Where in an assault case, the complainant did not assert that she would be able to identify the defendant, a defendant seeking an identity parade merely for the purpose of establishing what was admitted, could not oblige a parade to be called. The prosecution had proceeded on the basis of other evidence, and placed no … Continue reading Regina v Nicholson (Andrew Robert): CACD 8 Sep 1999
PACE codes are there to protect suspects against the overwhelming power of the state, and must be followed. Citations: Times 30-Jun-1994 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Criminal Practice Updated: 25 October 2022; Ref: scu.86636
Where in an assault case, the complainant did not assert that she would be able to identify the defendant, a defendant seeking an identity parade merely for the purpose of establishing what was admitted, could not oblige a parade to be called. The prosecution had proceeded on the basis of other evidence, and placed no … Continue reading Regina v Nicholson (Andrew Robert): CACD 2 Sep 1999
The case of R v Popat had not been overruled by R v Forbes, which had been decided unfortunately. The obligation to hold an identity parade was not absolute. There are other factors which can be relied upon to make the obligation indeterminate. Citations: Times 02-Sep-1999 Statutes: Police And Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Codes of … Continue reading Regina v Popat (No 2): CACD 2 Sep 1999
There has been some confusion about the need for identity parades to be held where requested by the defendant. Where the witness had properly identified the defendant such a parade need not be held. The decision in R v Popat was to be preferred to that in R v Forbes. Citations: Times 13-Oct-1999 Statutes: Police … Continue reading Regina v Ryan: CACD 13 Oct 1999
Failure to comply with code of practice with regard to identification evidence and parades is not necessarily fatal to a prosecution. Citations: Times 23-Feb-1998 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; Codes of Practice Jurisdiction: England and Wales Criminal Practice Updated: 11 October 2022; Ref: scu.87046
A decision on whether a suspect has a mental handicap must be reached on evidence, and the decision must be express. Citations: Ind Summary 22-Jan-1996, Times 12-Dec-1995 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 66 codes Jurisdiction: England and Wales Criminal Practice Updated: 22 September 2022; Ref: scu.86798
The provisions of the Code of Practice regarding identification parades are mandatory and additional unwritten conditions are not to be inserted. Where there was an identification and the suspect challenged that identification, and consented to the parade, the parade must be held. There is nothing in the words of code of practice to allow police … Continue reading Regina v Forbes (Anthony Leroy) (Attorney General’s Reference No 3 of 1999): HL 19 Dec 2000
The complainat had seen the burglar/defendant, noted his car number and later identified the car to the police. He identified the defendant from a group identification, but the codes of practice were not followed. Held: Though the Codes had been breached the court must look to see whether this had lead to any unfairness, and … Continue reading Regina v Grannell: CACD 1990
The Claimant seeks judicial review of the dismissal of his complaint against a police officer in the Hampshire Constabulary for his failure to comply with paragraph 11.13 of Code C of the Codes of Practice, issued pursuant to section 66 of the 1984 Act, in not recording his comments after being cautioned for a suspected … Continue reading Karia, Regina (on The Application of) v The Chief Constable of Hampshire Contabulary: Admn 15 Dec 2015
The defendant appealed against her conviction for aggravated vehicle taking. She was found near the scene of a road traffic accident involving a stolen car, and her fingerprint on an inside rear window. She submitted that the officers had asked as to her involvement at a time when she was already a suspect, and that … Continue reading Hughes v Director of Public Prosecutions: Admn 12 Oct 2009
The appellants sought to challenge their convictions for cheating the Inland Revenue. They were accused of having hidden assets and income from the revenue. The appellants objected to the use at trial of material obtained in a ‘Hansard’ interview. At such interview admissions are accepted as a basis for settling civil liabiity, but expressly excluding … Continue reading Regina v Sewa Singh Gill and Paramjit Singh Gill: CACD 31 Jul 2003
The appellants appealed their convictions on two grounds. First the judge who had heard the case was an acquaintance of the chief constable of the investigating force, and second evidence had been admitted of tape recordings of non-privileged conversations between defendants whilst in the police station. The Chief Constable had authorised the covert operation, and … Continue reading Mason, Wood, McClelland, Tierney v Regina: CACD 13 Feb 2002
The court gave guidance on the meaning of the word ‘interview’ when used in the Codes of Practice. Morland J said: ‘In our judgment it is not within the spirit of the Act or the code that ‘interview’ should be given a restricted meaning. Normally any discussion or talk between a suspect or prisoner and … Continue reading Regina v Matthews: CACD 1990
A search by Trading Standards officers was subject to the PACE codes of Practice even though it may be described as a routine inspection. The officers had an obligation to specify the power under which they acted. Citations: Times 16-Aug-1994 Statutes: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Criminal Practice Updated: 19 May 2022; Ref: scu.80156
The search of a victim’s premises which continued after evidence had come to light suggesting the victim might be a suspect was in breach of the codes of practice where it continued without the consent of the occupier. Evidence which was derived from that continued search was unlawful. Nevertheless, it was fair to admit the … Continue reading Regina v Sanghera: CA 26 Oct 2000
W faced a charge of robbery. At the police station on arrest he was first refused access to a solicitor. The police conceded that the refusal was a breach of s58, and that the officer had failed to record the interview as required, and to give an opportunity to read and sign the interview record … Continue reading Regina v Walsh (Gerald Frederick): CACD 1990
1. The respondent’s instructions and guidance to immigration officers correctly reflect the operation of sections 66 and 67 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and of the Immigration (PACE Codes of Practice) Direction 2013, in drawing a distinction between administrative enquiries and formal criminal enquiries. The fact that immigration officers have powers … Continue reading Elsakhawy (Immigration Officers: Pace) Egypt: UTIAC 30 Jan 2018
The PACE codes of practice apply to FACT investigators who were acting in the investigation of a copyright breach wher and others criminal offence was suspected. Although they were in effect private individuals and fulfilled not even a quasi-statutory duty, they still fulfilled a duty, and had to obey the codes of practice. Citations: Ind … Continue reading Joy v Federation Against Copyright Theft: QBD 15 Feb 1993
The defendant said that his confession should not have been admitted in evidence it having been given when he had not been advised of his rights whilst at the police station because of his inebriation. Held: The appeal failed. A confession is, prima facie, admissible if ‘relevant’ to a matter in issue in the proceedings. … Continue reading Beeres v Crown Prosecution Service (West Midlands): Admn 13 Feb 2014
An interview took place when an appellant, who was later charged with dangerous driving and taking a motor vehicle without authority, was asked why he was hiding, to which he replied ‘I don’t want to get caught.’ He was then arrested for taking a conveyance without authority, to which he said, according to the officers, … Continue reading Regina v Wayne Ward: CACD 29 Jul 1993
The defendant appealed against her conviction for theft. She had been accused of stealing money over many months from the till at the pharmacy where she worked. She said that a confession in interviews conducted by civilian investigators should not have been admitted. She said that transactions had not been put through the till at … Continue reading Regina v Dhorajiwala: CACD 9 Jun 2010
Please note (June 2010: that these law-bytes will soon (but not very soon and slowly) be re-organised, and re-posted within the main swarb.co.uk law-blog. This will allow much more powerful crosslinking for users between the various pages. All the existing pages will be left in place, but only the replacements will be updated. Eventually all … Continue reading law-bytes