Guidance on use of reasonable force
Chief Officers and the CPS have jointly published guidance for householders on the level of force they can use to tackle intruders.
Chief Officers and the CPS have jointly published guidance for householders on the level of force they can use to tackle intruders.
ACPO said the leaflet would reaffirm to members of the public that they can use reasonable force to defend themselves.
Chris Fox, President of ACPO, said: “We want everyone to clearly understand that they can use force to protect themselves or others. The force used should be reasonable force. We want everyone to understand that while we have to investigate the circumstances of such events, we will always remember that anyone engaged in a criminal act should expect reasonable force to be used against them by their victim.”
Ken Macdonald, QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, said the advice would reassure the public that if they acted honestly and instinctively and in the heat of the moment, “this will be the strongest evidence that they have acted lawfully and in self-defence.”
“Prosecutions of householders for tackling intruders are extremely rare only a few in the past 15 years. Even where householders have badly injured,
or even killed burglars, the CPS has declined to prosecute unless they
have used wholly excessive force,”
he added.
The guidance follows Home Secretary Charles Clarkes announcement last month that the law is appropriate as it stands, but needed to be clarified.
The guidance is available on www.cps.gov.uk or www.acpo.police.uk