Originally published in 1998, this handbook describes the statutes and cases that defined the governance, control and authority of the provincial police forces in England and Wales at the time.

For many years the complexity and range of these legal authorities had caused misunderstandings and doubt when differing aspects of police activities had been questioned. To clarify the law a major step was taken in the enactment of the Police Act 1996. The consolidating Act brought together most of the existing statutory provisions regarding the governance of police forces. However, since about 1980, a number of other factors relevant to the powers and control of the police had emerged, most notably:

Increased civil litigation had led to a number of cases defining the civil liability of the police;

Increased use of judicial review procedures with consequent case decisions defining police powers in particular circumstances;

Greater centralisation in police policies together with the Home Secretary's control of finance and other matters;

Increased police use of sophisticated technology for record keeping and surveillance purposes;

The involvement of the security service in an anti-criminal role.

The book (which includes illustrative charts) covers many complex legal issues. It has been written in a plain non-legalistic style. It is understandable to non-lawyers. However, for the benefit of practitioners, all statutory and case references are provided so that original materials can be consulted by those needing further information.