Pace Code C (Revised) - GOV.UK

1 CODE C. Revised Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by Police Of cers C e od C. Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). CODE C. Revised Code of Practice for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by Police Officers July 2018. London: TSO. Published by TSO (The Stationery Office), part of Williams Lea Tag, and available from: Online Mail, Telephone, Fax & E-mail TSO. PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Telephone orders/General enquiries: 0333 202 5070. Fax orders: 0333 202 5080. E-mail: Textphone 0333 202 5077. TSO@Blackwell and other Accredited Agents Published with the permission of the Home Office on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. Crown Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. You 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 TW9 4DU.

2 Or email: Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. ISBN 978 0 11 341405 5. Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by the Williams Lea Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office J003463181 c5 07/18. POLICE AND CRIMINAL EVIDENCE ACT 1984 (PACE). C. 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 00:00 on 31 July 2018, notwithstanding that their period of detention may have commenced before that time. 1. C. Codes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers Contents (click page number to view text).

3 1 6. Notes for Guidance .. 10. 2 Custody records .. 13. Note for Guidance .. 14. 3 Initial action .. 14. (A) Detained persons - normal procedure .. 14. (B) Detained persons - special groups .. 17. (C) Detained persons - Documentation .. 19. (D) Persons attending a police station or elsewhere voluntarily .. 19. Action if arrest becomes necessary .. 19. Information to be given when arranging a voluntary interview: .. 19. Commencement of voluntary interview general .. 22. Documentation .. 22. (E) Persons answering street bail .. 22. (F) Requirements for suspects to be informed of certain 22. Notes for Guidance .. 22. 4 Detainee's property .. 25. (A) Action .. 25. (B) Documentation .. 25. Notes for Guidance .. 25. 5 Right not to be held incommunicado .. 26. (A) Action .. 26. (B) Documentation .. 27. Notes for Guidance .. 27. 6 Right to legal advice.

4 27. (A) Action .. 27. (B) Documentation .. 30. Notes for Guidance .. 31. 7 Citizens of independent Commonwealth countries or foreign nationals .. 34. (A) Action .. 34. (B) Documentation .. 34. Note for Guidance .. 34. 8 Conditions of detention .. 35. (A) Action .. 35. (B) Documentation .. 35. Notes for Guidance .. 35. 9 Care and treatment of detained persons .. 36. (A) General .. 36. (B) Clinical treatment and attention .. 36. (C) Documentation .. 38. Notes for Guidance .. 38. 2. C. Codes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 10 39. (A) When a caution must be 39. (B) Terms of the cautions .. 40. (C) Special warnings under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, sections 36. and 37 .. 40. (D) Juveniles and vulnerable 41. (E) Documentation .. 41. Notes for Guidance .. 41. 11 Interviews - general.

5 42. (A) Action .. 42. (B) Interview 43. (C) Juveniles and vulnerable 44. (D) Vulnerable suspects - urgent interviews at police stations .. 44. (E) Conduct and recording of Interviews at police stations - use of live link .. 45. (F) Witnesses .. 45. Notes for Guidance .. 45. 12 Interviews in police stations .. 47. (A) Action .. 47. When interviewer and suspect are present at the same police station .. 47. Interviewer not present at the same station as the detainee use of live link .. 48. When the authority of an inspector is required .. 49. (B) Documentation .. 50. Notes for Guidance .. 50. 13 Interpreters .. 52. (A) General .. 52. (B) Interviewing suspects - foreign languages .. 53. (C) Interviewing suspects who have a hearing or speech impediment .. 53. (D) Additional rules for detained 53. (E) Translations of essential 54. (F) Decisions not to provide interpretation and translation.

6 54. (G) Documentation .. 54. (H) Live link interpretation .. 55. (a) Audio and visual communication .. 55. (b) Audio and visual or audio without visual communication.. 55. Notes for Guidance .. 56. 14 Questioning - special restrictions .. 56. Note for Guidance .. 56. 15 Reviews and extensions of detention .. 57. (A) Persons detained under PACE .. 57. (B) Review of detention by telephone or by using a live link (section 40A and 45A) .. 59. (C) Authorisation to extend detention using live link (sections 45ZA and 45ZB) .. 60. (D) Documentation .. 61. Notes for Guidance .. 62. 16 Charging detained persons .. 63. (A) Action .. 63. (B) Documentation .. 65. Notes for Guidance .. 65. 3. C. Codes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 17 Testing persons for the presence of specified Class A drugs.

7 67. (A) Action .. 67. (B) Documentation .. 68. (C) General .. 68. (D) Assessment of misuse of drugs .. 69. Notes for Guidance .. 70. ANNEX A INTIMATE AND STRIP SEARCHES .. 72. A Intimate search .. 72. (a) Action .. 72. (b) Documentation .. 73. B Strip search .. 73. (a) Action .. 73. (b) Documentation .. 74. Notes for Guidance .. 74. ANNEX B DELAY IN NOTIFICATION OF ARREST AND WHEREABOUTS OR. ALLOWING ACCESS TO LEGAL ADVICE .. 76. A Persons detained under PACE .. 76. B Not 76. C Documentation .. 76. D Cautions and special warnings .. 77. Notes for Guidance .. 77. ANNEX C RESTRICTION ON DRAWING ADVERSE INFERENCES FROM SILENCE AND. TERMS OF THE CAUTION WHEN THE RESTRICTION APPLIES .. 78. (a) The restriction on drawing adverse inferences from silence .. 78. (b) Terms of the caution when the restriction applies .. 78. Notes for Guidance.

8 78. ANNEX D WRITTEN STATEMENTS UNDER CAUTION .. 80. (a) Written by a person under caution .. 80. (b) Written by a police officer or other police staff .. 80. ANNEX E SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS RELATING TO VULNERABLE PERSONS .. 82. Notes for Guidance .. 84. ANNEX F Not used .. 85. ANNEX G FITNESS TO BE INTERVIEWED .. 85. ANNEX H DETAINED PERSON: OBSERVATION LIST .. 86. ANNEX K X-RAYS AND ULTRASOUND SCANS .. 87. (a) Action .. 87. (b) Documentation .. 87. Notes for Guidance .. 87. ANNEX L ESTABLISHING GENDER OF PERSONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF. SEARCHING .. 89. (a) Consideration .. 89. (b) Documentation .. 89. (c) Disclosure of information .. 90. Notes for Guidance .. 90. 4. C. Codes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers ANNEX M DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS TO BE TRANSLATED .. 91. Table of essential documents.

9 91. Documentation .. 92. Notes for Guidance .. 92. ANNEX N LIVE-LINK INTERPRETATION (PARA. ) .. 93. Part 1: When the physical presence of the interpreter is not required.. 93. Part 2: Modifications for live-link interpretation .. 95. (a) Code C paragraph : .. 95. (b) Code C paragraph : .. 95. (c) Code C paragraph : .. 95. (d) Code C paragraph , Code E paragraphs and and Code F paragraph .- interviews .. 95. (e) Code E, paragraph (signing master recording label) .. 95. Notes for Guidance .. 95. 5. C. Codes of practice Code C Detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers 1 General The powers and procedures in this Code must be used fairly, responsibly, with respect for the people to whom they apply and without unlawful discrimination. Under the Equality Act 2010, section 149 (Public sector Equality duty ), police forces must, in carrying out their functions, have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct which is prohibited by that Act, to advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not share it, and to foster good relations between those persons.

10 The Equality Act also makes it unlawful for police officers to discriminate against, harass or victimise any person on the grounds of the protected characteristics' of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, when using their powers. See Notes 1A and 1AA. All persons in custody must be dealt with expeditiously, and released as soon as the need for detention no longer applies. A custody officer must perform the functions in this Code as soon as practicable. A custody officer will not be in breach of this Code if delay is justifiable and reasonable steps are taken to prevent unnecessary delay. The custody record shall show when a delay has occurred and the reason. See Note 1H. This Code of Practice must be readily available at all police stations for consultation by: police officers.