PACE Code C - assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

1 Code contained in this booklet has been issued by the Home Secretary under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and has been approved by of the Codes issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 must be readily available in all police stations for consultation by police officers, detained people and members of the CRevised Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by Police OfficersCCODE CCode C9 780113 414024 ISBN 978-0-11-341402-458458 PACE Code C A5 Cover .indd 109/02/2017 15:31 Police and CriminalEvidence Act 1984 (PACE)CODE CRevisedCode of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by Police OfficersFebruary 2017 London: TSOP ublished by TSO (The Stationer y Office) and available , Telephone, Fax & E-mail TSO PO Box 29, Nor wich, NR3 1GN Telephone orders/General enquiries: 0333 202 5070 Fax orders: 0333 202 5080 E-mail.

2 Textphone 0333 202 5077 TSO@Blackwell and other Accredited AgentsPublished with the permission of the Home Office on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty s Stationer y Office. Crown Copyright 2017 All rights may re-use this document/publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence To view this licence, visit or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey T W9 4DU; or email: we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders 978 0 11 341402 4 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimumPrinted in the UK by the Williams Lea Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty s Stationery OfficeP002858631 C5 02/17 58458C 1 POLICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT 1984 (PACE)

3 CODE C REVISED CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE DETENTION, TREATMENT AND QUESTIONING OF persons BY POLICE OFFICERS Commencement - Transitional Arrangements This Code applies to people in police detention after on 23 February 2017 notwithstanding that their period of detention may have commenced before that time. , CCodes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 2 Contents 1 General .. 6 Notes for Guidance .. 9 2 Custody records .. 10 Note for Guidance .. 12 3 Initial action .. 12 (a) Detained persons - normal procedure.

4 12 (b) Detained persons - special groups .. 15 (c) persons attending a police station or elsewhere voluntarily .. 17 (d) Documentation .. 18 (e) persons answering street bail .. 18 (f) Requirements for suspects to be informed of certain rights .. 18 Notes for Guidance .. 18 4 Detainee s 19 (a) Action .. 19 (b) Documentation .. 20 Notes for Guidance .. 20 5 Right not to be held incommunicado .. 20 (a) Action .. 20 (b) Documentation .. 21 Notes for Guidance .. 21 6 Right to legal advice .. 22 (a) Action .. 22 (b) Documentation .. 25 Notes for Guidance.

5 25 7 Citizens of independent Commonwealth countries or foreign nationals .. 28 (a) Action .. 28 (b) Documentation .. 28 Note for Guidance .. 28 8 Conditions of detention .. 29 (a) Action .. 29 (b) Documentation .. 29 Notes for Guidance .. 29 9 Care and treatment of detained persons .. 30 (a) General .. 30 (b) Clinical treatment and attention .. 30 (c) Documentation .. 32 Notes for Guidance .. 32 CCodes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 3 10 Cautions .. 33 (a) When a caution must be given .. 33 (b) Terms of the cautions.

6 34 (c) Special warnings under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, sections 36 and 37 .. 34 (d) Juveniles and persons who are mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable .. 35 (e) Documentation .. 35 Notes for Guidance .. 35 11 Interviews - 36 (a) Action .. 36 (b) Interview records .. 37 (c) Juveniles and mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable people .. 38 (d) Vulnerable suspects - urgent interviews at police stations .. 38 Notes for Guidance .. 39 12 Interviews in police stations .. 41 (a) Action .. 41 (b) Documentation.

7 42 Notes for Guidance .. 42 13 Interpreters .. 43 (a) General .. 43 (b) Interviewing suspects - foreign languages .. 44 (c) Interviewing suspects who have a hearing or speech impediment .. 44 (d) Additional rules for detained persons .. 44 (e) Translations of essential documents .. 45 (f) Decisions not to provide interpretation and translation.. 45 (g) Documentation .. 45 (h) Live-link interpretation .. 46 (a) Audio and visual communication .. 46 (b) Audio and visual or audio without visual communication.. 46 Notes for Guidance .. 47 14 Questioning - special restrictions.

8 47 Note for Guidance .. 47 15 Reviews and extensions of 48 (a) persons detained under 48 (b) Review of detention by telephone and video conferencing facilities .. 50 (c) Documentation .. 50 Notes for Guidance .. 51 16 Charging detained persons .. 52 (a) Action .. 52 (b) Documentation .. 54 Notes for Guidance .. 54 CCodes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 4 17 Testing persons for the presence of specified Class A drugs .. 55 (a) Action .. 55 (b) Documentation .. 57 (c) General .. 57 (d) Assessment of misuse of drugs.

9 57 Notes for Guidance .. 58 ANNEX A INTIMATE AND STRIP SEARCHES .. 61 A Intimate search .. 61 (a) Action .. 61 (b) Documentation .. 62 B Strip search .. 62 (a) Action .. 62 (b) Documentation .. 63 Notes for Guidance .. 63 ANNEX B DELAY IN NOTIFYING ARREST OR ALLOWING ACCESS TO LEGAL ADVICE 65 A persons detained under 65 B Not used .. 65 C Documentation .. 65 D Cautions and special warnings .. 66 Notes for Guidance .. 66 ANNEX C RESTRICTION ON DRAWING ADVERSE INFERENCES FROM SILENCE AND TERMS OF THE CAUTION WHEN THE RESTRICTION APPLIES .. 67 (a) The restriction on drawing adverse inferences from silence.

10 67 (b) Terms of the caution when the restriction applies .. 67 Notes for Guidance .. 67 ANNEX D WRITTEN STATEMENTS UNDER CAUTION .. 69 (a) Written by a person under caution .. 69 (b) Written by a police officer or other police staff .. 69 ANNEX E SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO MENTALLY DISORDERED AND OTHERWISE MENTALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE .. 71 Notes for Guidance .. 72 ANNEX F Not used .. 74 ANNEX G FITNESS TO BE INTERVIEWED .. 74 ANNEX H DETAINED PERSON: OBSERVATION LIST .. 75 ANNEX I Not used .. 75 ANNEX J Not used .. 75 ANNEX K X- RAYS AND ULTRASOUND SCANS.