Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 is a police power that allows any uniformed constable to stop any pedestrian, or any vehicle driver and any passenger(s) in public and search them and / or their property for offensive weapons or dangerous instruments, regardless of whether there are any grounds for suspecting possession of said articles.
A controversial tactic, it has long been the subject of debates about its effectiveness, consistently produced racial disparities that forces have failed to explain, and has been challenged in the courts.
Yet, it remains a part of the vast apparatus of stop and search powers available to UK police. This page details developments in the long-running campaign to scrap section 60.
Check out the links below for more information.
No reasonable grounds: the case for repealing section 60
Read report arguing for the abolition of the suspicionless search power on human rights grounds
No reasonable grounds: the case for repealing section 60
No to section 60, 30 years on
Talks held in both London and Bristol discussing controversial stop and search power, ahead of its thirtieth year
No to section 60, 30 years on
On suspicionless searches, the Human Rights Act, and police accountability
Article laying out condensed version of the human rights case against suspicionless police powers
On suspicionless searches, the Human Rights Act, and police accountability
