Ollie'sPolice Handbook
All procedures
Use of Force

Use of Force — Legal Framework

Force must always be necessary, reasonable and proportionate. Two main statutory provisions plus common law self-defence.

The steps

  1. 1

    s.3 Criminal Law Act 1967

    Reasonable force in the prevention of crime or in effecting/assisting the lawful arrest of an offender.

  2. 2

    s.117 PACE 1984

    Where any provision of PACE confers a power, an officer may use reasonable force, if necessary, in the exercise of that power.

  3. 3

    Common law

    Self-defence and defence of another — force reasonable in the circumstances as the officer honestly believed them to be.

  4. 4

    NDM

    Use the National Decision Model continuously: Code of Ethics → Information → Threat → Powers/Policy → Options → Action / Review.

Related Acts & sections

PACE 1984
s.24 Power of Arrest

A constable may arrest without warrant anyone about to commit, in the act of committing, suspected of being about to commit, or suspected of having committed an offence — provided arrest is necessary.

Watch outs

  • Justify every level: presence, verbal, restraint, irritant spray, baton, Taser, firearms.
  • Submit a use-of-force form for every application of force, including handcuffing.

References