Code G — Arrest Necessity Decision Aid
PACE Code G requires both reasonable grounds to suspect AND a necessity to arrest. Walk through the six necessity criteria — record which one(s) applied and why.
The steps
- 1
Threshold 1 — Suspicion
Reasonable grounds to suspect the person is committing, has committed, or is about to commit an offence (s.24(1)–(3) PACE). Capture the grounds in the pocket notebook.
- 2
Threshold 2 — Necessity (Code G 2.9)
Identify at least ONE of the criteria below. Arrest without an applicable necessity is unlawful — voluntary attendance must be considered first.
- 3
(a) Name
To enable the name of the person to be ascertained where it cannot be readily ascertained, or there are reasonable grounds to doubt the name given.
- 4
(b) Address
To enable an address to be ascertained where service of a summons is impracticable, no satisfactory address given, or doubt about the address given.
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(c) Prevent harm or loss
To prevent the person causing physical injury to themselves or another, suffering injury, loss or damage to property, an offence against public decency, or unlawful obstruction of the highway.
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(d) Protect a child or vulnerable person
To protect a child or other vulnerable person from the person.
- 7
(e) Prompt and effective investigation
Most common ground — needed to question, search the person/premises, secure evidence, identify witnesses, prevent contact with co-suspects, or carry out PACE procedures (ID, samples, interview).
- 8
(f) Disappearance
To prevent any prosecution being hindered by the disappearance of the person.
- 9
Record & justify
On arrest: state offence + necessity ground in plain English to the suspect. On the custody record: log which Code G ground(s) applied and why voluntary attendance was unsuitable.
Watch outs
- Necessity must be reviewed continuously — release / debail when no longer needed.
- Mere convenience is NOT a necessity — voluntary attendance must be ruled out for ground (e).
- An unlawful arrest taints all evidence obtained — PACE s.78 exclusion at court.