PSA President Nick Smart has commented following today's UK Home Office announcement that the legal test for the use of force in police misconduct cases will be returned to the criminal law test.

This means that when officers need to act quickly in the face of danger, they must have an honest belief that use of force is necessary. This will help ensure that police officers will not be penalised for making genuine mistakes, to reflect the incredibly high pressure they work under. 

Nick said: "We welcome this rule change, which will provide much needed clarity for police officers tasked with facing incredibly difficult and dangerous situations, as they work to keep people safe. We contributed to the consultation surrounding this issue and called for urgent change.

"Accountability in policing is critical and always will be, but the laws and governance around this must serve the public and policing, delivering swift, appropriate outcomes, based on fairness.

"Police officers of all ranks welcome judgement and review of their actions - we are arguably the most accountable of all public services. It is therefore vital that the way in which we are judged after any event is transparent and consistent, recognising the context of the incident and the threat, harm and risk posed at the time. This will give officers the confidence to make decisions based on their training, and to do their jobs to the best of their ability to keep people safe."

More information on the Accountability Review and Rapid Rewiew: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-accountability-rapid-review