If you're car is pulled over in the UK can the police search it?

Question

Can the British police look in your glove box and boot etc without a warrant?

Answer 1

In a word, yes.

However, this has to be justified under the stop and search powers governed by the Police and criminal evidence act.

Contrary to what the critics of the Police say, we can't do what we want, certainly not in the UK anyway, as we have to justify our actions. I for one wouldn't want to risk my job for someone who has taken aversion to me doing my job which is why I can always justify my actions. I had to do just that today to my boss and he was happy with my reasons for my actions which were well within the law.

Answer 2

The police has no ultimate to seek the indoors areas of your automobile whether they plugged you down by way of fact dashing, the dashing on my own is the only reason which you're end yet to seek interior your automobile they choose a courtroom ORDER for that. no rely if that is interior the united kingdom or US or any area of the international, the regulation is obvious and straightforward. What you violate would basically be surmised. as quickly as a police officer open something interior the automobile devoid of your consent or permission is a sparkling violation of your rights and you have the final to document a appropriate criticism to the courtroom. sure this is right, they have no corporation finding your automobile if there is not any in all possibility reason to realize this in case you're actually not smelling or stink of weed or alcohol and don't see any hid weapons of any type and finding like a properly dress guy or woman who's approximately to bypass to a convention or assembly with suitable executives the police has no ultimate to earnings interior the automobile.

Answer 3

If they have reasonable belief that you're carrying something then yes, a warrant is not required. They must provide you with a search record however.

Police only need a warrant if they're searching a house, and even then a warrant is not always required.

Answer 4

The police can search without a warrant under certain circumstances and with varying amounts of suspicion, however if they do they MUST supply you with a written record of the search and their grounds for the search and the names & shoulder numbers of the officers should also be included.

Answer 5

All the above answers are either incomplete or do not pertain to the UK.

The Terrorism Act of 2004 last left the Search and Seizure rules as this: Unless an officer believes that a pedestrian or automobile is involved in an act of terrorism normal rules for search and seizure apply. Those rules are: An officer much first ask the pedestrian/driver if there are any illegal items with them. Then, the officer must seek permission to search any private property from the person whom owns the property (unless an automobile is stolen in which case an officer is allowed to search an autmobile in an attempt to determine it's proper owner). If this permission to search is not granted than the police officer must appeal to his MPS and obtain a warrant to search from an acceeding authority.

Look at the police bashing! I love how people have a go at the police. You can absolutely refuse to have your car searched and force an officer to get a warrant. To bad most of you are too stupid to realize your rights and assert them. Until then, I'll happily gather your thumbs down and you'll happily remain ignorant.

Answer 6

Why was your car pulled over? Were you driving erratically? If so, the police could always justify such a search by saying that they were concerned that you might be under the influence of something or other or that your demeanour was so suspicious that they thought you might be going equipped for theft...there are endless possibilities. So the answer is no, they have no right to conduct such a search unless there is good reason for doing so, but their imagination knows no bounds when it comes to finding a good reason.

Answer 7

The UK may be a democracy, but the authorities can and do anything they like to us "subjects", and if they come across an occasion when they can't, the government will just change the laws to suit.
The police can do what they like, as long as they have reasonable suspicion, whatever the hell that means.

Answer 8

YES! They can if they have reason to suspect a crime has been committed or you have illegal things in there. Say they smell weed when you are pulled you will be searched along with your car. The moral of the story - be a good driver and behave!

Answer 9

I can speak from personal experience as it's happened to me many times in the past. The peelers had NO reason to believe anything criminal had been going on, was going on or would be going on. Was harassment, pure and simple.

Is this so Jamie79? Well, perhaps you all did suspend your policies when it came to the six.

Answer 10

Hi,

In the UK, yes they can provided they have reasonable suspicion that a criminal offence has been, is being or is going to be committed or used in the comissioning of a crime