NCJ Number
140456
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 66 Issue: 1 Dated: (January-March 1993) Pages: 4-11
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The chief constable of the police of Devon and Cornwall in England comments on police misconduct during interrogations conducted before the implementation of the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) and the potential effects of that act on police interrogations.
Abstract
Cases such as those of the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four have generated comments about miscarriages of justice, but the concept of miscarriage of justice refers to more than just the conviction of innocent people. Clearly, members of the Police Service have engaged in misconduct during investigations. However, the law must do more than protect the innocent; it must also support the search for truth, thereby supporting victim and enabling guilty persons to be convicted. Practical reforms supported by the Police Service include better witness services and changes in PACE to provide police with a proper opportunity to interrogate suspects, modify suspects' right of silence in some cases, protect the police intelligence-gathering function, and allow information on the defendant's previous conduct. These changes would allow the whole truth to be presented so that the innocent would be acquitted and the guilty convicted.