Chapter 5: The UK Government, the Law and Your Role

Respecting the Law: Laws and the Police

آخری جانچ: 15 July 2026

• 1Every person in the UK — resident or visitor — must obey the law; the law applies equally to everyone, including the police and government.
• 2Britain prides itself on the rule of law: no one, however rich or powerful, is above the law.
• 3UK law is divided into criminal law (offences against the community, investigated by police and punished by courts) and civil law (disputes between individuals or groups).
• 4Examples of criminal offences: carrying a weapon (it is a criminal offence to carry a knife or gun, EVEN for self-defence); possessing, selling or supplying illegal drugs (e.g. heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, cannabis); racial crime (offences motivated by race or religion); selling tobacco to anyone under 18; smoking in enclosed public places; buying alcohol for or selling alcohol to under-18s; being drunk and disorderly in public.
• 5Examples of civil law matters: housing disputes (e.g. landlord–tenant disagreements over repairs or rent); consumer rights (e.g. faulty goods or services); employment disputes (e.g. unfair dismissal or workplace discrimination); debt recovery.
• 6The job of the police is to: protect life and property; prevent disturbances (keep the peace); prevent and detect crime.
• 7The police are organised in a number of separate forces, each headed by a Chief Constable; the police are independent of the government.
• 8In November 2012 the public elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales; PCCs set local police priorities and budgets and appoint the local Chief Constable.
• 9Police officers must themselves obey the law: they must not misuse their authority, make false statements, be rude or abusive, or commit racial discrimination; police corruption is taken very seriously.
• 10Complaints about the police can be made to the police force itself, or to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (England and Wales), the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, or the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.
• 11Police forces are supported by police community support officers (PCSOs), who patrol, support officers at crime scenes and deal with minor offences.
• 12To report a crime: dial 999 or 112 in an emergency only; use 101 for non-emergency calls in England, Wales and Scotland; anonymous reports can be made via Crimestoppers.
• 13Terrorism and extremism: the UK faces threats from international terrorist groups (e.g. Al Qa'ida and like-minded organisations) and from Northern Ireland-related terrorism; all terrorist groups try to radicalise and recruit.
• 14If you think someone is trying to persuade you to join an extremist or terrorist cause, you should notify your local police force.