Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984 is considered a key moment in police history and the single most important piece of legislation related to policing in England and Wales. It provides the framework for police powers in relation to individual citizens in England and Wales. PACE also provides direction to other organisations that conduct criminal investigation, such as HM Revenue and Customs. This chapter provides a critical evaluation of PACE. It discusses police powers prior to PACE, circumstances leading to its enactment and its impact. In particular, the chapter focuses on two controversial powers enabled by PACE, namely, stop and search and detention. It concludes that, despite the successes of PACE with regard to police accountability so far, there are continued calls for even greater accountability and transparency.