The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Changes over time for: Section 26

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Changes to legislation:

The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989, Section 26 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 11 June 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.

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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Article 26:

various legislation applied by 2016 c. 18 (N.I.) s. 161(2)(a)
art. 26(2)(o) words substituted by 2011 c. 23 Sch. 7 para. 7(2) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Art. 26(2)(o) no longer available for substitution of words since substitution of art. 26-26A for art. 26 by S.I. 2007/288 (N.I. 2))
art. 26(2)(q) substituted by 2010 c. 40 Sch. para. 6 (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Art. 26(2)(g) no longer available for substitution since substitution of art. 26-26A for art. 26 by S.I. 2007/288 (N.I. 2))
art. 26(2)(ee) substituted by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I.) Sch. 7 para. 7 (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. Art. 26(2)(ee) no longer available for substitution since substitution of art. 26-26A for art. 26 by S.I. 2007/288 (N.I. 2))

Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Order associated Parts and Chapters:

Order applied by 2016 c. 18 (N.I.) s. 150(1)(a)
Order excluded by 2012 c. 9 Sch. 1 para. 7(5)
Order extended by 2003 c. 6 Sch. 4 para. 23A (as inserted) by S.I. 2007/912 (N.I.) Sch. 4 para. 5

Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Order (including any effects on those provisions):

Sch. 2A para. 1(4) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(3)(a)(ii)
Sch. 2A para. 2(2)(c) and word inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(3)(b)(ii)
Sch. 2A para. 9(4) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(3)(c)(ii)
Sch. 2A para. 10(5) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(3)(d)(ii)
Sch. 2A para. 2(2)(b) words substituted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(3)(b)(i)
art. 62(10(ab) words substituted in earlier affecting provision 2015 c. 9 (N.I.), Sch. 2 para. 6(3)(b) by 2022 c. 4 (N.I.) s. 4(9)(e)
art. 3(9ZA)(9ZB) inserted by 2019 c. 17 s. 12(5)
art. 19(1)(cc) inserted by S.I. 2007/916 (N.I.) art. 18(2)
art. 53(3A)(3B) inserted by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 1(3)
art. 53(3A) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 15(4)
art. 53(4) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 9(6)
art. 53B inserted by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 3
art. 56(13A)(b)(iii) and word substituted for word by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) Sch. 2 para. 6(1)(b)
art. 56(13A)(b)(iii) words substituted in earlier affecting provision 2015 c. 9 (N.I.), Sch. 2 para. 6(1)(b) by 2022 c. 4 (N.I.) s. 4(9)(e)
art. 56A(9)(b)(iii) and word substituted for word by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) Sch. 2 para. 6(2)(b)
art. 56A(9)(b)(iii) words substituted in earlier affecting provision 2015 c. 9 (N.I.), Sch. 2 para. 6(2)(b) by 2022 c. 4 (N.I.) s. 4(9)(e)
art. 61(5A) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 8(1)
art. 61(5A)(b) words substituted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(1)(a)
art. 61(5B) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 8(2)
art. 61(5B)(b) words substituted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(1)(a)
art. 61(5C) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(1)(b)
art. 61(6)-(6ZD) substituted for art. 61(6) by 2010 c. 17 s. 8(3)
art. 61(6D)-(6G) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 9(1)
art. 61(6BA) inserted by 2008 c. 28 s. 12(2) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 12 omitted (14.12.2011) by virtue of 2011 c. 23, ss. 29, 31(2), Sch. 7 para. 5(3))
art. 62(2A) (2B) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 9(2)
art. 62(10)(ab) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) Sch. 2 para. 6(3)(b)
art. 62(10)(ab) words substituted in earlier affecting provision 2015 c. 9 (N.I.), Sch. 2 para. 6(3)(b) by 2022 c. 4 (N.I.) s. 4(9)(e)
art. 63(3A)(c)(i) word substituted by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 4
art. 63(3B)-(3BD) substituted for art. 63(3B) by 2010 c. 17 s. 8(7)
art. 63(3C) inserted by 2008 c. 28 s. 12(3) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 12 omitted (14.12.2011) by virtue of 2011 c. 23, ss. 29, 31(2), Sch. 7 para. 5(3))
art. 63(3D)-(3G) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 9(4)
art. 63(3AA) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(2)(c)
art. 63(3ZA) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 8(5)
art. 63(3ZA)(b)(iii) and word inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 83(2)(a)
art. 63A(1E) (1F) inserted by 2010 c. 17 s. 11(1)
art. 63A(6A) inserted by 2008 c. 28 s. 12(4)(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 12 omitted (14.12.2011) by virtue of 2011 c. 23, ss. 29, 31(2), Sch. 7 para. 5(3))
art. 63B-63R inserted by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 2
art. 63D(1)(a) substituted by 2019 c. 3 Sch. 2 para. 5(2)(a)
art. 63D(1)(a)(i) words inserted by S.I. 2023/1386 Sch. para. 9(5)(a) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertions of ss. 63D and 63DA by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.), Sch. 2 and 2019 c. 3, Sch. 2 para. 5 respectively are still prospective)
art. 63D(14) words inserted by 2019 c. 3 Sch. 2 para. 5(2)(b)
art. 63D(14) words inserted by S.I. 2023/1386 Sch. para. 9(5)(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertions of ss. 63D and 63DA by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.), Sch. 2 and 2019 c. 3, Sch. 2 para. 5 respectively are still prospective)
art. 63N substituted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 86
art. 63R(4A) inserted by 2019 c. 3 Sch. 4 para. 20(9)
art. 63R(4B) inserted by 2023 c. 32 Sch. 18 para. 5(8) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertion of art. 63R by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 2 remains prospective at 31.12.2023.)
art. 63R(5) words substituted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 87(a)
art. 63R(5A)(5B) inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 87(b)
art. 63DA inserted by 2019 c. 3 Sch. 2 para. 5(3)
art. 63DA heading words inserted by S.I. 2023/1386 Sch. para. 9(6)(a) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertions of ss. 63D and 63DA by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.), Sch. 2 and 2019 c. 3, Sch. 2 para. 5 respectively are still prospective)
art. 63DA(1)(a) words inserted by S.I. 2023/1386 Sch. para. 9(6)(b) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertions of ss. 63D and 63DA by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.), Sch. 2 and 2019 c. 3, Sch. 2 para. 5 respectively are still prospective)
art. 63DA(4) words inserted by S.I. 2023/1386 Sch. para. 9(6)(c) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. The insertions of ss. 63D and 63DA by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.), Sch. 2 and 2019 c. 3, Sch. 2 para. 5 respectively are still prospective)
art. 63GA inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 84
art. 63KA inserted by 2015 c. 9 (N.I.) s. 85
art. 64(1AA) inserted by 2008 c. 28 s. 12(5) (This amendment not applied to legislation.gov.uk. S. 12 omitted (14.12.2011) by virtue of 2011 c. 23, ss. 29, 31(2), Sch. 7 para. 5(3))
art. 64(1AB) inserted by 2008 c. 28 s. 15(5)
art. 89(2A) inserted by 2013 c. 7 (N.I.) Sch. 3 para. 5

[F1Arrest without warrant: constablesN.I.

F226.—(1) A constable may arrest without a warrant—

(a)anyone who is about to commit an offence;

(b)anyone who is in the act of committing an offence;

(c)anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be about to commit an offence;

(d)anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an offence.

(2) If a constable has reasonable grounds for suspecting that an offence has been committed, he may arrest without a warrant anyone whom he has reasonable grounds to suspect of being guilty of it.

(3) If an offence has been committed, a constable may arrest without a warrant—

(a)anyone who is guilty of the offence;

(b)anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of it.

(4) But the power of summary arrest conferred by paragraph (1), (2) or (3) is exercisable only if the constable has reasonable grounds for believing that for any of the reasons mentioned in paragraph (5) it is necessary to arrest the person in question.

(5) The reasons are—

(a)to enable the name of the person in question to be ascertained (in the case where the constable does not know, and cannot readily ascertain, the person's name, or has reasonable grounds for doubting whether a name given by the person as his name is his real name);

(b)correspondingly as regards the person's address;

(c)to prevent the person in question—

(i)causing physical injury to himself or any other person;

(ii)suffering physical injury;

(iii)causing loss of or damage to property;

(iv)committing an offence against public decency (subject to paragraph (6)); or

(v)causing an unlawful obstruction on a road (within the meaning of the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 (NI 18);

(d)to protect a child or other vulnerable person from the person in question;

(e)to allow the prompt and effective investigation of the offence or of the conduct of the person in question;

(f)to prevent any prosecution for the offence from being hindered by the disappearance of the person in question.

(6) Paragraph (5)(c)(iv) applies only where members of the public going about their normal business cannot reasonably be expected to avoid the person in question.]

F1Arts. 26, 26A substituted (1.3.2007) for art. 26 by Police and Criminal Evidence (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/288 (N.I. 2)), arts. 1(2), 15(1) (with art. 15(3))

F2mod. by SI 1999/2821; 3133

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1Art. 26 applied (9.6.2006) by S.I. 2006/1454, art. 13(7)

Art. 26 applied (16.11.2006) by S.I. 2006/2952, art. 14(7) (with art. 18)

Art. 26 applied (16.11.2006) by S.I. 2006/2958, art. 13(7) (with art. 17)

C2Art. 26 applied (with modifications) (12.10.2006) by S.I. 2006/2657, art. 14(7) (with arts. 18, 19)

C3Art. 26 applied (9.2.2007) by Iran (Financial Sanctions) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/281), art. 13(7) (with art. 17)

C4Art. 26 applied (with modifications) (3.5.2007) by virtue of Iran (European Community Financial Sanctions) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/1374), reg. 13(7) (with reg. 16)

C5Art. 26 applied (with modifications) (18.5.2009) by Police and Criminal Evidence (Application to the Police Ombudsman) Order (Northern Ireland) 2009 (S.R. 2009/142), art. 3, Sch. 1, Sch. 2

C6Art. 26 applied (with modifications) (temp.) (28.3.2020 at 11.00 p.m.) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/55), regs. 1(1), 8(5) (with reg. 15)

C7Art. 26 applied (with modifications) (temp.) (8.6.2020) by The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (S.R. 2020/90), regs. 1, 6(5) (with reg. 12)