Police Law Blog European Decisions Statutory Materials

Reducing restrictions, increasing inconsistency? Impact of the Lockdown Amendment Regulations on the Police’s Enforcement Ability

The ‘lockdown’ has been slightly relaxed in England but much less so in the other three nations. In England, this relaxation was announced by the Prime Minister in a nationally televised address at 7pm on a Sunday. By 7am the next day, there was considerable uncertainty as to what he meant and from when he […]

Statutory Guidance for Police Collaboration. 12.3.10

This Statutory Guidance for Police Collaboration is published to assist police authorities and forces considering and implementing collaborative working as a means to achieving more efficient and effective delivery of policing services. It includes clarification of the relevant legislation that governs collaboration in the police service, in particular of Sections 23-23I of the Police Act […]

Avoid frame-by-frame analysis of fast moving events and discussion of evidence in front of officers

In Goodenough v Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police [2020] EWHC 695 (QB) , the High Court, Turner J, considered a claim for damages brought by Robin Goodenough’s mother and sister. The claims arose out of Mr Goodenough’s death on 27 September 2003 following a short car chase and traffic stop. The Claimants asserted that […]

Indefinite retention of DNA profile, fingerprints and photographs of a convicted motorist contrary to article 8

The European Court of Human Rights court held in Gaughran v United Kingdom [2020] ECHR 144 that the police’s indefinite retention of DNA profile, fingerprints and photographs of person convicted of a minor offence without a possibility of review constituted an infringement of Article 8 ECHR (respect for private life). This is the latest in a number of cases […]

The lawfulness of the Coronavirus Restrictions Legislation imposing ‘Lockdown’

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 and the similar (but not identical) regulations made in the other 3 nations of the UK (together, “the ‘Lockdown’ Regulations”) have been suggested by some to be unlawful (being ultra vires their parent statute) insofar as they purport to criminalise all those leaving the places where they are […]