§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of the reasons used to justify detention beyond 24 hours of persons identified as being detained under section 4 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggSection 4 of the the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 controls the setting up of road 89W checks. It is part IV (sections 34 to 52) of the Act which deals with the conditions and duration of detention. Under section 42 an officer of the rank of superintendent or above may authorise the detention of a person beyond 24 hours if he has reasonable grounds for believing that:
- (a) the detention of that person without charge is necessary to secure or preserve evidence for which he is under arrest or to obtain such evidence by questioning him;
- (b) an offence for which he is under arrest is a serious arrestable offence; and
- (c) the investigation is being conducted diligently and expeditiously.