Law

Here you will find lots of information relating to English law, legislation and guidance in relation to the lawful use of force for self-defence, the carriage and use of handcuffs, physical restraint and physical intervention.

Serco fined £2.25 million for H&S Failings following the Death of Custody Officer

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Ms Barwell, a 54-year-old grandmother was kicked twice at Blackfriars Crown Court in 2015 during the restraint of a prisoner in custody. She died from brain injuries caused by the second blow. Ms Barwell had worked for Hampshire-based security firm Serco for 10 years when the attack took place. The incident led to an investigation by the Health and Safety … Read more

Ambulance Service Ordered to Pay £49,000 in Wrongful Dismissal Case After Staff Member Was Dismissed for Allegedly ‘Assaulting’ a 14 Year-Old Patient Who Had Attacked Him

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  A veteran paramedic ambulance worker who was assaulted by a 14 year-old was awarded £49,000 by an industrial tribunal after he was wrongfully dismissed for gross misconduct by his employer for allegedly assaulting a 14 year old who had attacked him. In August 2021 Mr Edwards, a senior paramedic with 18 years service was attending a call. It involved … Read more

Can we use techniques not taught during training?

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I recently posted an article on Linked about an article which appeared in the Guardian ‘North Wales Police Officer punching incident’. Well, the post attracted over 6,000 views with lots of very balanced and descriptive comments. Some challenging whilst others supported the video clip showing the officer punching someone whilst on the ground. Her (now His) Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies … Read more

Are the Use of Pain Compliance Holds Illegal?

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I was recently contacted about the fact that a pain compliance technique was being taught during a training cause. The point from the caller was that they felt that the technique should not have been taught because they are not legal and the banned.  Particularly for staff not employed in law enforcement or security roles! Whilst the philosophy behind any … Read more

The Importance of Writing An Effective Incident Report

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Writing and effective incident report is possibly one of the most important things you can do. This is because you may have to rely on it in one, two, three or even five to tens year’s time. And let’s face it, most of us can’t remember what we had for dinner last week! So keeping a good written record as … Read more

There Is No Such Thing As A Legal Self-Defence or Restraint Technique!

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There Is No Such Thing As A Legal Self-Defence or Restraint Technique! Many trainers spend a lot of time teaching self-defence or restraint techniques and some even say that the techniques they teach are legal. In fact, many years ago I was actually approached by someone who wanted us to have our training ‘approved’ by them and the basis for … Read more