Search laws in the UK

i know they do random stop and searches, dunno about refusing them.

jus dont carry anything illegal on ya and ya good

 

Basically, they can search you whenever they want, and you can't stop them.

 

Must have reasonable suspicion that you are involved in criminal activity
Illegal to search based on stereotyping

If a police officer randomly stops you in order to search you, legally you are allowed to only give your name and address and nothing else if there is no suspicion you are involved in anything illegal.

Thats the basics of it, if you want i can find out the full in's and out's for you

EDIT: Just remembered that this in with the Police And Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). In case you want something concrete to quote

 

They aren't supposed to search you for no reason (or how you look); but they can use terrorism laws as an excuse to search whoever they like.

Actually I looked it up and the abuse of section 44 has been ruled unlawful since January. So I dunno :S

Stop and search - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Not sure about the official laws but in my area anyone bellow the age of 30 seems to be a 'target' for police and they seem to search you if either you have a hood up or your hands are in your pockets. They've searched me a couple of times because of this and every time their link is 'more burglary in the area' which sounds like such shit...

 

If it happens again make a note of there badge numbers and refuse the search on the grounds of stereotyping, just to kick up a fuss and show 'em.

 

This is bullshit.

Kicking up a fuss and showing them only gives them more paperwork to do, in no way will it stop you being searched. I've been searched probably 10-20 times a year for the past four years. Every time I protest and try and comply within my rights. My lawyer says there's nothing to be done, but I'm going to start collecting all my slips and file for harassment as advised by someone on these forums.

 

Where did i say it would stop you getting searched ?
By mainting your rights and being aware of legal and illegal searches and any grey area inbetweeen it will begin to show police that they can't abuse their powers. And i don't mean briefly have a look as to what the law states surrounding stop & search i mean really know it so you don't end up looking mouthy.

 

You didn't. I'm just saying there is no point getting their names, or making any form of complaint unless you're being constantly harassed as I am. They are well within their rights to search everyone without reasonable cause due to a bunch of ridiculous laws that have been passed.

Basically the police can search whoever the fuck they like and we can't do anything about it. So don't get caught people. Stay safe.

 

thats the way it goes up here too budfather if they dont have resonable cause they just fabricate resonable cause!
I just try and stay away from the possibility of searches.

 

Police do not have any right to search you without reasonable cause or suspicion, heres a video of some police trying to search without any real reason and attempting to get details.
You can do something and you do have rights.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9bfmW3iMqk]YouTube - The Love Police: How to Escape a TERROR STOP (1 of 2)[/ame]

 

Yeah honestly mate I don't think that works, if you kick up a fuss you just piss them off and they'll just throw you in a car and off to the station you go!

 

This is a completely different situation and cannot be used as an example of how to deal with the police.

 

That's also totally different to any situation we'd (stoners) be in too. The police in that video actually didn't have any reason to search them and it was a very public place where the police wouldn't have been able to manhandle slightly etc. whereas if they were in a little street somewhere away from the centre of London i'm sure those police would've got their way in the end...

 

I don't think the people outside of London know what its like.
And also depending on your age/race/area of London how you're handled with varies greatly.

 

Yeah exactly, it sounds racist but it's true that if you're far more likely to be searched if you're black, it's horrible but true. A friend was stopped on the tube because he 'looked like a terrorist', he doesn't even look Muslim, he's south american! ridiculous here...
Also, i'm pretty certain the police they use in the centre of town are told to act very different to those in the more suburban areas - IE inner city police are much more lenient and try and avoid a scene etc, suburban police will just go for it if you know what I mean. But that's just my experience.
The only reason what those guys did in that video worked was because of all those witnesses...

 

Police And Criminal Evidence Act 1984

Code A: Police cannot act simply on the basis of: A persons race, age, appearance, previous convictions.

Police must have 'reasonable grounds' to stop and search, the suspicion should be based on facts, intelligence information or behaviour.

Tomlinson V DPP [1992] Case defined that if you are in a notorious area yet not doing anything suspicious then it would be illegal for a search to take place


Now that is the law, no debate around that. It's obvious that some of you feel like the police are abusing there stop & search power, so why not take it further ? Why let them continually get away with it ?

 

Never been stopped and searched myself but my friends experience is that if they want to search you they will. They can claim all sorts under the 'reasonable grounds': you were acting suspiciously (behaviour) in a crime hot spot etc. Provided the Police officer can justify the search on his form they'll search you; and like I said it isn't hard for them to make up a reason.

 

Because I don't want my day/night to end with me sitting in the back of a police car going to the station...
And obviously that's the law (though didn't those terrorism laws allow them to stop and search indiscriminately or did that get repealed by the EU) but if you mention your rights and the law they know you're hiding something and it WILL end up with you going to the station, it's just fact, unless you get a very nice policeman, which can happen.