Police and law enforcement

Hardly a year goes by without a Police Act being passed - whether it is called a Police Act, a Police Reform Act or a Criminal Justice Act. This means not only change in the criminal law but, almost always, change in the way that law enforcement is organised.

Recent legislation in the form of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act has brought about a merger of NCS (the National Crime Squad) with NCIS (the National Criminal Intelligence Service) and parts of both Customs & Excise and the Immigration Service, to form the Serious and Organised Crime Agency. This development on its own has meant major changes for the organisations concerned, some of them involving a need for legal advice. The accompanying change in the way crimes are classified and dealt with locally and regionally is imposing much wider organisational change. All police forces and agencies are affected, and further change is on the way.

Having advised police forces and other law enforcement agencies for many years, our specialist team of lawyers understands the culture in which you operate and we are well placed to offer informed, focused advice. We advise on a very wide range of issues, from asset management to employer's liability claims, data protection, Freedom of information, IT procurement, Judicial Review, landlord/tenant matters and strategic partnerships, amongst many others. In short, we advise on every aspect of your operations and constitutions.

Handling such a wide variety of work over such a long period of time has given us a firm, broad understanding of the issues that you face. We are aware of your particular duties in relation to transparency and to work within guidance from bodies such as the Home Office. Other sensitivities must also be recognised and dealt with, and this is integral to the way we would work with you.

All of this means we can speak with authority when advising clients in this sector. Society's demands on law enforcement agencies grow all the time, and the way in which crime is investigated and dealt with will change still further in the future, particularly in relation to intelligence-gathering. Police forces and law enforcement agencies seeking to engage with these issues will find in us a vigorous and effective ally.