The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modification) Order 2001

Statutory Instruments

2001 No. 2254

POLICE

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modification) Order 2001

Made

20th June 2001

Laid before Parliament

21st June 2001

Coming into force

16th July 2001

Whereas, in pursuance of sections 60(1)(a) and 66 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984(1), the Secretary of State issued codes of practice(2) in connection with, amongst other matters:

(a) the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers; and

(b) the identification of persons by police officers;

And whereas section 66(2) of that Act requires codes to include provision in connection with the exercise by police officers of powers under section 63B of that Act(3):

• Now, therefore, the Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 67(7A) of that Act(4), hereby orders as follows:

1.  This Order may be cited as the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Codes of Practice) (Modification) Order 2001 and shall come into force on 16th July 2001.

2.  Subject to article 3 below, the codes of practice in force shall have effect with the modifications set out in the Schedule to this Order.

3.  The modifications to the codes of practice made by article 2 shall have effect for a period of two years from the date on which this Order comes into force, and shall have effect only in the following police areas(5):

(a) Staffordshire;

(b) Nottinghamshire;

(c) the metropolitan police district.

Bob Ainsworth

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Home Office

20th June 2001

Article 2

SCHEDULE MODIFICATIONS TO CODES OF PRACTICE

1.  In code C,

(1) after paragraph 1.5, insert the following:

“1.5A If anyone appears to be under the age of 18 then he shall be exempt from drug testing under section 17 of this code in the absence of clear evidence to show that he is older.”; and

(2) after section 16, insert the following:

17    Testing persons for the presence of specified Class A drugs

17

(a) Action

Notes for Guidance

17A  When warning a person who is asked to provide a urine or non-intimate sample in accordance with paragraph 17.1, the following form of words may be used:

• “You do not have to provide a sample, but I must warn you that if you fail or refuse without good cause to do so, you will commit an offence for which you may be imprisoned, or fined, or both.”

17B  A sample has to be sufficient and suitable. A sufficient sample is sufficient in quantity and quality to enable drug testing analysis to take place. A suitable sample is one, which by its nature, is suitable for a particular form of drug analysis.

17C  A prescribed person in paragraph 17.10 is one who is prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 63B(6) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

17D  The retention of the sample in paragraph 17.13 allows for the sample to be sent to the Forensic Science Service laboratory for confirmatory testing and analysis if the detainee disputes the test. But such samples, and the information derived from them, may not be subsequently used in the investigation of any offence or in evidence against the persons from whom they were taken.

17E  The trigger offences are: from the Theft Act 1968 — theft, robbery, burglary, aggravated burglary, taking a motor vehicle (or other conveyance) without authority, aggravated vehicle-taking, obtaining property by deception, going equipped for stealing etc.; and from the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (but only if committed in respect of a specified Class A drug) — producing and supplying a controlled drug, possessing a controlled drug, possessing a controlled drug with intent to supply.”.

2.  In Code D, after paragraph 5H, insert the following:

“5G  Samples of urine and non-intimate samples taken in accordance with sections 63B and 63C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 may not be used for identification purposes in accordance with this code.”.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 63B of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 gives police officers a new power to undertake tests for the presence of specified Class A drugs in relation to certain persons in police detention. Section 66(2) of the 1984 Act provides that codes in connection with these powers must be in place before the powers are exercised. This Order puts in place modifications to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codes of practice to provide for drug testing within police detention. The modifications are only to have effect for 2 years and extend only to named police areas where the drug testing provisions are to be piloted.

(1)

1984 c. 60.

(2)

The codes of practice in force were brought into operation by S.I. 1995/450.

(3)

Sections 63B and 66(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 were inserted by section 57 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 (c. 43).

(4)

Section 67(7A) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 was inserted by section 77 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (c. 16).

(5)

The term “police area” has the meaning ascribed to it in section 101 of the Police Act 1996 (c. 16) by virtue of Schedule 1 to the Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30).