Consultation outcome

Revising PACE Code A (2022)

• From: Home Office
• Published: 17 May 2022
• Last updated: 13 October 2022 — See all updates

This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Government response to Home Office consultation on PACE Code A (Stop and Search)

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Government response to Home Office consultation on PACE Code A (Stop and Search)

PDF, 246 KB, 8 pages

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Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) – Code A: Revised Code of Practice for the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search (accessible version)

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Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) – Code A: Revised Code of Practice for the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search

PDF, 516 KB, 38 pages

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Detail of outcome

The Home Office consultation on proposed revisions to Code of Practice A (Stop and Search) closed on 27 June 2022.

We proposed amendments to Code A to include powers in relation to Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs). SVROs are a new civil order which give the police powers to stop and search individuals convicted of an offence where a knife or offensive weapon was used or was present.

The revised Code A includes a temporary new Annex (Annex G) for the purposes of the pilot for SVROs, which outlines the powers under section 324E of the Sentencing Code (in relation to individuals subject to an SVRO) and the considerations police officers should make when deciding to conduct a search on individuals.

This response summarises the feedback received.

This revised Code A was laid before Parliament on 13 October 2022. Following parliamentary approval, the revised code came into force on 17 January 2023.

Read the new Code A 2023.

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Original consultation

Summary

This draft version of code A is being circulated for consultation in accordance with section 67(4) of PACE.

This consultation ran from
9am on 16 May 2022 to 11:59pm on 27 June 2022

Consultation description

This draft version of code A is being circulated for consultation in accordance with section 67(4) of PACE. Code A concerns the exercise by police officers of statutory powers to search a person or a vehicle without first making an arrest.

The draft code has a covering note and detailed table outlining the changes and their purpose.

The new revisions are necessary to bring the code in line with current legislation in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 which introduced Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVRO) into Part 11 of the Sentencing Code.

SVROs are a new civil order which give the police powers to stop and search individuals convicted of an offence where a knife or offensive weapon was present. The order will be piloted in West Midlands, Merseyside, Thames Valley and Sussex Police forces before a decision is made on roll out across England and Wales. Full details on SVROs can be found here.

Documents

Draft revised PACE Code A (accessible)

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Draft revised PACE Code A (OpenDocument text)

ODT, 117 KB

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Draft revised PACE Code A (Word)

MS Word Document, 151 KB

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Letter to consultees (accessible)

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Letter to consultees

PDF, 113 KB, 2 pages

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Published 17 May 2022
Last updated 13 October 2022 + show all updates

1. 13 October 2022

   Revised Code of Practice for the exercise by police officers of statutory powers of stop and search added to final outcome.

2. 13 October 2022

   Government response to consultation added.

3. 17 May 2022

   First published.