NCJ Number
104641
Editor(s)
J Benyon,
C Bourn
Date Published
1986
Length
343 pages
Annotation
Papers describe and analyze the British Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, which specifies police powers and rules of evidence, and the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, which establishes an independent Crown Prosecution Service to replace the British system of prosecution by police.
Abstract
Papers on the Police and Criminal Evidence Act describe the act's provisions for police stop and search, road checks, search and seizure, arrest, and the detention and interrogation of uncharged suspects. Some papers argue that the procedures are so restrictive, burdensome, and costly that they do little to enhance police effectiveness in controlling crime. Other papers argue that the powers given police to search suspects and their premises and to detain uncharged suspects carry a high potential for abuse unless exercised in consultation with citizen representatives. Most papers support the establishment of a prosecution system independent of the police under the Prosecution of Offences Act, but many criticize the statute's integrated national structure for implementing the system. The paper which discusses the rules of evidence in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act focuses on hearsay evidence, computer records, convictions and acquittals as evidence, confessions, the competence and compellability of the accused's spouse, and privilege. Chapter notes, 460-item bibliography, and subject index. For individual papers, see NCJ 104642-104664.