Law Changes

Interesting article in The Observer on Sunday concerning The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act which comes into play Janurary 1st 2006.

Basically the new act makes every offence potentially arrestable.

Rather than trumpet the fact that this new act offers increased protection for the public, The Observer concentrates on the possibility of the public being targetted by officious or malevolently motivated police constables.

'There are specific tests of necessity a police officer must satisfy, yet at the end of the list come two paragraphs which give the officers complete freedom. The first stipulates that an arrest may be carried out to allow the prompt and 'effective investigation of the offence or of the conduct of the person in question'. The second says that an arrest may take place 'to prevent any prosecution of the offence from being hindered by the disappearance of the person in question'.

In my opinion this new act clears up the doubt that some officers have surrounding exercising powers of arrest under 25 Police and criminal evidence act 1984.

Anything which means that more 'bad guys' are brought in and dealt with has got to be good for the public, hasn't it?