POLICE AND POLICE POWER

Police and Police Power

Police and Police Power

Introduction

The governments and the law makers continue to make and amend laws in accordance with the needs and demands of the changing circumstances and in line with the demands and needs of people. These changes are needed in every walk of life and all the social institutions, including the schools, colleges, offices, homes as well as various governmental departments, including the police department. The same laws also ensure that the daily life processes are well maintained and properly executed, without any deviation from the usual path and without violating any law. It is eminent to mention here that the police department holds utmost and the most essential position in any country, as the police officers are directly involved in dealing with the people, and are also responsible for assisting them in the various legal and law related issues. Thus the acts related to police department are passed after serious considerations and lengthy discussions, with Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) being one of those Acts.

Discussion

Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE)

Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) was passed in 1984 as an Act of the Parliament, and is comprised of a legislative framework that highlights and focuses on the powers and the privileges possessed by police officers of England and Whales in order to deal with the criminals and to combat crimes. In addition, the same code also provides the police officers with the code to practice in order to assist them in exercising those powers freely and in accordance with eh law of court. It is eminent to mention here that the major purpose of PACE was the establishment of power between police officers of Whales and England and the general public in the same areas, and to ensure that none of them overpowers the other (McKenzie, 1998, Pp: 53). The following paragraphs would highlight the need for presentation of PACE and would also focus on the changes that have been made in the Act since it was passed in 1984.

Reasons for implementation of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE)

As mentioned above, all the laws and Acts are presented after serious considerations and detailed discussion, and thus there is always some concrete reason behind their implementation. The same holds true for Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) and he Act was implemented mainly because the police department was in need of an exact code for the safeguard of certain rights and privileges. These rights include the power and safeguard to stop the suspected individuals for search, arrest, detention, investigation, interview process for mere identification of the individual.

It should be noted that before passage of Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), there was no precise code and framework present for the police officers and their demand for having such a code dates back to 1960's. In 1960, the Home Officer asked the Criminal Law Revision Committee to reconsider the rules that provide evidence in the criminal cases and thus provide clarification in ...