Part 1: Public Order Section 11: Powers to stop and search without suspicion
This section makes provision for a senior police officer to give an authorisation applying to a specific locality for a specified period that allows a constable in uniform to stop and search a person or vehicle for an object made, adapted or intended for use in the course of or in connection with a specified protest-related offence. While the authorisation is in force a constable may exercise the search power whether or not they have any grounds for suspecting the person or vehicle is carrying such an object.
	Subsection (1) provides for the circumstances in which a senior officer of or above the rank of inspector can give such an authorisation. Those circumstances are that the senior officer reasonably believes that any of the offences specified in paragraph 65 above may be committed in a locality within the officer’s police area or that persons are carrying prohibited objects (as defined in subsection (2)) in that area.
	Subsection (3) stipulates that if the further condition in subsection (4) is met the senior police officer may give an authorisation that the suspicion-less stop and search powers conferred by this section are to be exercisable anywhere within a specified locality, within the officer’s police area, for a period not exceeding 24 hours.
	Subsection (4) specifies the condition under which a senior police officer may give an authorisation. The senior officer must reasonably believe that: the authorisation is necessary to prevent the commission of offences within subsection (1)(a) or the carrying of prohibited objects, the specified locality is no greater than is necessary to prevent such activity, and the specified period is no longer than is necessary to prevent such activity.
	Subsection (5) allows for an officer of the rank of superintendent or above to provide for an authorisation to continue for up to a further 24 hours.
	Where such an authorisation is in place, subsection (6) confers on any constable in uniform power to stop any person and search them or anything carried by them for a prohibited object; or to stop any vehicle and search the vehicle, its driver and any passenger for a prohibited object.
	Subsection (7) allows a constable to stop any person or vehicle and make any search the constable thinks fit whether or not the constable has any grounds for suspecting that the person or vehicle is carrying a prohibited object.
	Subsection (8) enables a constable to seize an object found during the course of a search if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting it to be a prohibited object.
	Subsection (9) provides that the powers in this section and sections 12 to 14 apply to ships, aircraft and hovercraft as they apply to vehicles.
	Subsection (10) defines terms used in sections 11 to 14.
	Subsection (11) provides that the powers conferred by sections 11 to 14 do not affect any power conferred otherwise than by those sections.
	The exercise of stop and search powers under this section is subject to PACE code of practice A (PACE Code A (publishing.service.gov.uk) ) which will be updated to reflect these new powers. PACE Code A covers analogous suspicion less stop and search powers conferred by section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.