Sus law
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in Britain the Sus law is a stop-and-search law, widely believed to have been abused by the Metropolitan Police to harass young black men.
Also known as "Sus", it is based upon Sections 4 and 6 of the Vagrancy Act 1824 which made it "illegal for a suspected person or reputed thief to frequent or loiter in a public place with intent to commit an arrestable offence" and effectively permits the police to stop and search anyone they chose, purely on the basis of suspicion.
The law was abolished following the Brixton riots of 1981.
Subsequent British legislation which makes provision for the police to act on the basis of suspicion alone is often denounced as "another sus law" by opponents.
External link
- The Power of the Police to Stop and Search, Arrest, and Seize Evidence from Members of the Public (http://www.wlv.ac.uk/sls/resources/police1.htm)