header-logo header-logo

23 May 2019 / Alec Samuels
Issue: 7841 / Categories: Features , Criminal
printer mail-detail

To protect & to serve

Alec Samuels reflects on the particular duty of the police to protect us
  • The criminal has caused serious injury or death to the victim. Has the victim or the family of the victim any remedy?

The victim rings 999 and calls for help. The police go to the victim’s house. Too late. The criminal has caused serious injury or death to the victim. Has the victim or the family of the victim any remedy?

The police are under a general duty to protect the public, but it is not a particular duty to each and every one of us individually. The victims of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, had no remedy against the police for failing to protect them from death or injury: Hill v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire [1989] AC 53. The victim would need to show some sort of acceptance of responsibility for protection in the particular case, a special promise of protection upon which the victim relied. Basically the victim must prove that the police

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Ogier—Martin Livingston

Martin Livingston joins Ogier in Cayman to strengthen regulatory support

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan—47 promotions

Blake Morgan announces 47 summer promotions across UK offices

NEWS
Consultant-led law firms should prepare for closer regulatory attention as oversight evolves
Artificial intelligence may draft workplace grievances, but employers cannot treat them any differently from conventional complaints
From dishonest claimants to judicial promotions and procedural skirmishes, the latest legal developments offer plenty for litigators to digest
Fresh guidance is set to influence how courts decide whether hearings take place online or in person
County Court judges remain divided over whether landlords can lawfully force entry to carry out essential safety inspections after tenants ignore access injunctions
back-to-top-scroll