The new class of arrestable offence covers all felonies and many misdemeanours, and so the constable now has considerably increased powers of arrest.
That provision relates to suspected persons or reputed thieves frequenting or loitering about certain places with intent to commit arrestable offences.
However, the police are better prepared and have at their disposal the public order measure and highways legislation which contain provisions for arrestable offences.
Those criteria, like the crimes themselves that are listed as serious arrestable offences, are simply not appropriate to immigration law.
It calls for retrials to be possible in the case of all arrestable offences.
Owing to a loophole in existing legislation, the possession of equipment used to perpetrate telephone fraud is not an arrestable offence.
That may well be of use in dealing with some of the road traffic offences which are not usually arrestable offences, committed by itinerants.
This right is absolute except for all those detained otherwise than in connection with serious arrestable offences.
