Use of Force and Public Order

Police officers are required to make crucial life and death decisions in relation to themselves, colleagues, or members of the public. On many occasions this decision making process is undertaken during extremely stressful conditions. It is imperative that when force is used it is proportionate, lawful, accountable, and necessary. The use of force is a necessary tool for police officers and can conflict, albeit justifiably, with their moral obligation to protect life and preserve order. The attitude and behaviour of the officer in responding in an appropriate manner can impact how a society perceives whether their human rights are being protected or abused. This ultimately reflects upon public confidence in policing. This Chapter looks at the legal and police processes around the use of Force. For instance, Article 2 of the European Charter of Human Rights protects citizens’ “Right to Life”. Most police forces have a Code of Ethics around the use of Force. The use of force is also defined in statute and the test cases mentioned here, Beckford v The Queen” and Forrester v Leckey state a police officer’s obligations. The Case of McCann (1995) involving IRA members in Gibraltar also sets this out.