Why was the introduction of PACE (1984) (Police and Criminal Evidence Act) neccessary?
The object was to obtain a balance between the need of those investigating crime (not simply the police, but also customs officers, immigration officers and the military) to know just what powers they had and the rights of people being questioned to have their interviews conducted fairly and in accordance with established guidelines. The legislation has been reviewed and amended to keep in step with jurisprudence and new technology. Certainly it has led to a tightening up of police procedure and careful scrutiny by the courts of how evidence was obtained as well as to the quality of the evidence itself. The CPS guidelines may be of help in explaining the effect it has had.
