Consultation on Codes of Practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (PACE)

The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (PACE NI) and its associated Codes of Practice (the Codes) are vital parts of the framework of legislation providing the police with the powers they need to tackle and investigate crime.  The Codes support PACE NI by providing guidance on the use of the powers it confers on the police and safeguards on the rights of individuals under investigation and/or detained in police custody.  The Codes broadly mirror the PACE Codes in England and Wales.  The Department of Justice (DoJ) is responsible for issuing new and revised Codes.

The last major review of the Codes was carried out in 2015.  Since then, police powers in Northern Ireland have been revised by various pieces of Westminster legislation such as the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019 (CTBSA), the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSC Act) and the National Security Act 2023 (NSA).

On the following page you will be asked to provide some information about yourself.  The Codes are contained within pages 5 - 13 of this consultation.  You will be asked for your views on the proposed changes at this stage.

We would encourage everyone with an interest in the revision of the Codes to read the consultation paper, attached below, and submit a response.

If you prefer to open the document in a separate page, please click on the link below:

Consultation Document (309KB) PDF

Alternative Formats

An easy read version of the consultation document is available on the DoJ website.  If it would assist you to access either document in an alternative format or language, please contact PACEConsultation@justice-ni.gov.uk