The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Codes B to E) (No. 2) Order 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order appoints 1st April 2003 as the date on which revised codes of practice under section 60(1)(a) and 66(1)(b), (c) and (d) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (“the Act”) will come into operation, superseding codes of practice which have been in operation since 10th April 1995.

The revised codes of practice are—

(a) Code of Practice for the searching of premises by police officers and the seizure of property found by police officers on persons or premises;

(b) Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers;

(c) Code of Practice for the identification of persons by police officers; and

(d) Code of Practice on tape recording of interviews with suspects.

This Order also revokes the Orders set out in paragraphs (a) and (b) of article 4 which, together, brought the current codes of practice under section 60(1)(a) and 66(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Act into operation. A revised code of practice under section 66(1)(a) of the Act (Code of Practice for the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search) comes into operation on 1st April 2003 (S.I. 2002/3075).

This Order also revokes the Order set out in paragraph (c) of article 4. This is in consequence of a defect in the draft Code D laid before each House of Parliament on 28th January 2003. The draft codes laid before each House of Parliament on 28th January 2003 are superseded by the draft codes laid on 26th February 2003.

The codes of practice will be published by The Stationery Office: copies may be obtained from its bookshops.