scholarly journals Police and Crime Commissioners

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Loveday

This article considers the progress of the new system of police governance in England and Wales. It assesses the responsibilities and powers of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and examines local initiatives undertaken by some PCCs that have proved to have national ramifications. It evaluates the accountability of PCCs between elections and highlights the limited powers of Police and Crime Panels. It considers the convention of police operational independence in light of two controversial police investigations, and the potential need for PCC oversight of future publicly high-profile investigations. It provides an initial assessment of an important and recent High Court ruling (R v Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, 2017) which, by making the PCC responsible for all police operational activity, questions the tradition of constabulary operational independence. It is argued that enabling the PCC to bring a chief officer to account for all police operations might mean that potentially challenging and fruitless investigations can be avoided in the future.

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
ALICIA AULT
Keyword(s):  

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Frank Kitt ◽  
Colin Rogers

Mental illness pervades most societies, but it is only recently that its impact and effects upon individuals has slowly been recognised in England and Wales. When people suffering from this illness become involved with various public agencies, the way they are dealt with appears inconsistent and on occasions ends in tragedy. One agency that is constantly in contact with people who suffer mental health illness is the police service. Some high profile cases have clearly illustrated misunderstandings and the fact that the police are not generally equipped to deal with such individuals. This article considers a brief history and theoretical backcloth to police understanding and framing of mental illness in England and Wales, and explores the National Liaison and Diversion Model as an alternative to traditional police understanding and response. The article suggests that only by understanding the historical context, and literature, surrounding mental illness, can improvements be made in the criminal justice system as a whole and within the police service in particular.


2017 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 478-496
Author(s):  
Chris Baldwin

This article charts the rise of criminal vetting by employers and voluntary organisations in England and Wales. It examines the historical roots of vetting and its progress from being initially a marginal concern for specialised groups to its position as an integral part of the recruitment process for over 3,000,000 people per annum by 2007. Critical exploration of this shift is provided—key events such as the conservative government consultation of the early 1990s and the incremental implementation of its recommendations are re-evaluated. This article identifies and examines the correlation between the media reporting of, and subsequent public reaction to, a series of high-profile child murders and the response of the legislature and the judiciary to these which lead ultimately to the development of a vetting epidemic in England and Wales by 2007. The role played in this development by vested interests, such as voluntary groups and employers, will be traced and critiqued, along with the missed opportunities for reform which might have prevented the epidemic’s spread.


2018 ◽  
pp. 101-125
Author(s):  
Michael Dwyer

Chapter five examines the Ring College immunization disaster, in which 24 children reportedly contracted tuberculosis and one 12-year-old girl died following routine anti-diphtheria immunization. The existing historiography relating to the Ring incident has, without exception, insisted that Burroughs Wellcome Ltd mistakenly supplied a bottle of live tuberculosis in lieu of a bottle of the anti-diphtheria serum toxoid-antitoxin floccules (TAF), even though this charge was not substantiated by a High Court ruling in 1939.This chapter provides new evidence suggesting that liability for the tragedy lay not with Burroughs Wellcome Ltd, but with the local attending doctor and his advisors, who mounted a conspiracy to cover up initial negligence in administering the immunization scheme and subsequent perfunctory medical treatment of the affected children.


Author(s):  
Stuart Sime

This chapter considers the modern scope and limitations on the use of the court’s inherent jurisdiction in common law jurisdictions. It considers the underlying juridical basis for the jurisdiction, and the underlying theories, namely that residuary powers were vested in the High Court in England and Wales by the Judicature Acts, and that all courts have inherent powers to prevent abuse of process. It considers the ramifications of the distinction between inherent jurisdiction and inherent powers. Changes in the legal landscape since the seminal articles by Master Jacob and Professor Dockray, including the codification of civil procedure in many common law jurisdictions, and modern understanding of the rule of law and the separation of powers, are considered. It is argued that while existing applications of the inherent jurisdiction should be retained, it is no longer acceptable for the English High Court, and equivalent courts in other jurisdictions, to generate new procedural law by resorting to the inherent jurisdiction.


SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401989908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Stelkia

Independent oversight of Canadian police has increased over the past decade in response to a number of high-profile cases of police misconduct and public dissatisfaction with internal police investigations. To date, however, the dynamics of the oversight process have not been subjected to critical analysis. This study examines the benefits and challenges of the oversight systems for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal police in British Columbia, Canada, as well as the role of oversight in increasing police accountability, improving public confidence, and modifying police behavior. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with persons ( n = 13) from oversight agencies, police unions, special interest groups, and professional standards units, the study found that despite having one of the most progressive oversight models in Canada, the system faces major challenges. These include slow processing of complaints, the administrative burden of minor complaints, the difficulty in determining return on investment, and the two-tier complaint model.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-334
Author(s):  
Lore Mergaerts ◽  
Roxanna Dehaghani

This article provides an analysis of the provisions relating to vulnerable suspects, with a focus on adults, in England and Wales and in Belgium. In doing so, the various problems and lessons learned from each jurisdiction are examined. Situated within the context of how these provisions have been developed, both at a domestic level and at a European level, we argue that neither system offers an ideal approach to the vulnerability of suspects, but we also posit that the two jurisdictions can learn from one another in their approach. Herein, we suggest that both jurisdictions must do more to protect adult vulnerable suspects and offer potential avenues for improvement.


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