Standing order
A Standing Order is an order of indefinite duration. It remains in effect until modified or rescinded. Standing orders are most often issued by military commanders to their troops, or by bodies operating under parliamentary procedure (such as Robert's Rules of Order).For example, in most military agencies there is a standing order for enlisted men to salute officers. Standing orders are necessarily general and vague since the exact circumstances for execution occur in the future under unknown conditions.
There is a particular danger when police officers are permitted to execute standing orders against civilian populations, which the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution attempts to prevent by
- requiring that all search or arrest warrants be specific,
- that all arrest procedures initiate with the "oath or affirmation" of a civilian making a complaint, and
- that probable cause be shown to exist.