Legislation Update: near death experiences in police custody
18th March 2008
It is all very well investigating deaths in custody, but in recent years the focus has moved also to investigating near misses as a way of identifying systemic improvements that might prevent deaths in the future.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has produced a report, Near Misses in Police Custody, based on a study in London in collaboration with forensic medical examiners.
The results, the IPCC says, underline the importance of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Pace). Pace has come under attack in recent months for involving too much paperwork for police officers and the Government is undertaking a full-scale review of its provisions.
However, pursuant to Pace are produced codes of practice that provide detailed guidance to police officers. Code C is especially relevant in police stations because it deals with the treatment and care of prisoners in custody.
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Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Near Deaths Scrutiny
