Road Check Police Road Block
| Author | Alec Samuels |
| Published date | 01 August 1986 |
| Date | 01 August 1986 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/002201838605000310 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
ROAD
CHECK
POLICE
ROAD
BLOCK
Alec
Samuels'
The police must catch the guilty. The innocent are entitled to move
about without interference. A police road block, a road check, is a
good wayof getting on to criminals, and is a great irritation to some
innocent people. So a balance has to be struck. The road check is
permitted by law (Road Taffic Act 1972 s. 159, and Police and
Criminal Evidence Act 1984s. 4) but is hedged with restrictions as
safeguards for the public. The innocent have nothing to fear. The
guilty may get caught.
Power
of
police to stop vehicles
Aperson driving a motor vehicle on a road and a person riding a
cycle, not being a motor vehicle, on a road shall stop the same on
being so required by a constable in uniform, and if he fails to do so
he shall be guiltyof an
offence-Road
Traffic Act 1972, section 159.
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 section 4:
Road checks
4.-(
1) This section shall have effect in relation to the conduct of
road checks by police officers for the purpose of ascertaining
whether a vehicle is
carrying-
(a) aperson who has commited an offence
other
than a road
traffic offence or a vehicles excise offence;
(b) aperson who is a witness to such an offence;
(c) a person intending to commit such an offence; or
(d) aperson who is unlawfully at large.
(2) For the purposes of this section a road check consists of the
exercise in a locality of the power conferred by section 159 of the
Road Traffic Act 1972 in such a way as to stop during the period for
which its exercise in that way in that locality continues all vehicles or
vehicles selected by any criterion.
• J. P., Barrister, B.A. (Cantab).
305
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