False Imprisonment

Historical background; what amounts to an imprisonment and the "mens rea" required to be a tortfeaser; defences; serious and other arrestable offences; the citizen's power of arrest without a warrant; the power of arrest of a constable without a warrant and powers of detention falling short of arrest; the Road Traffic Act 1988; reasonable suspicion and belief; other grounds which render an arrest unlawful; lawful detention after the initial arrest; the Armed Forces; the powers of certain sections of the citizenry to restrain the freedom of movement of others; liability as a tortfeaser; remedies for false imprisonment; civil actions for false imprisonment; the criminal law of false imprisonment; human rights; conclusion.