PACE and its Codes of Practice are vital parts of the framework of legislation providing the police with the powers they need to combat crime. The Codes, approved by Parliament, deal with contacts between the police and public in the exercise of police powers to stop and search and to search premises and with the treatment, questioning and identification of suspects and the tape recording of interviews. The Codes regulate police powers and procedures in the investigation of crime and set down safeguards and protection for members of the public.
