police the local constabulary. In England, governed by the Police Act 1976 and in Scotland by the Police (Scotland) Act 1967. Police gener- ally have no more powers than ordinary citizens, but there are many additional powers that they are given under legislation and under
301
police and criminal evidence act
/Image_312.png){kind=small}
many other enactments. Thus, police have powers of search, seizure and to obtain information beyond that of the ordinary citizen. It is an offence to obstruct them in the course of their duties as it is to waste their time. The Chief Constable is vicariously liable for the wrongs of his force but answers on financial matters to the local authority. The Metropolitan force answers to the Home Secretary, who himself is responsible to Parliament. They will not generally be liable to a member of the public for a failure to prevent crime: Hill v. Chief Con- stable [1988] 2 All ER 238. It is difficult to sue the police for negligence in carrying out their duties, but it is at least now possible to argue such a case since the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Osman v. UK [1998] TLR 68.
- costs
- Council of Europe
- Council of State
- Council of the European Union
- Council on Tribunals
- counsel
- counterclaim
- counterfeiting
- County Court
- Cour de Cassation
- course of employment
- court martial
- Court of Appeal
- Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
- Court of Auditors
- Court of Criminal Appeal
- Court of First Instance (of the European Communities)
- Court of Justice of the European Union
- Court of Session
- Court of the Arches
- Coutume de Normandie
- covenant
- crave
- credibility
- credit