The Act: Commentary on Clauses Section 2: Racial and religious hatred offences: powers of arrest
10.Section 2 amends section 24A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 so as to exempt the offences of stirring up racial or religious hatred from the power of citizens’ arrest. Section 24A was inserted into the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 by section 110 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2001. The purpose of Section 2 is to ensure that only constables will have the power to arrest persons in the context of these offences.