Around the Commonwealth

 Australia

The New South Wales Premier defended reforms to police procedures that granted the police more powers against charges that the reforms reduce police accountability and transparency. Under the changes, officers are able to reach into a suspect's clothing to remove a weapon instead of asking them to produce it and procedures requiring police to identify themselves are relaxed. The government is also considering changing complaints procedures so that complaints can be dealt with at a local station level. (21/05/2006)

 Barbados

In its annual report on human rights, the US State Department characterised the abuse of women and children in Barbados as "significant social problems". The report also states that the police victims support unit, as well as public and private counselling services, are helping victims of domestic violence, rape and child abuse. (23/03/2006)

 Fiji

Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes has stated that police officers who use force to obtain confessions run the risk of losing their jobs. His comments were made as he expressed concern at the continuous stream of complaints regarding police brutality. (27/06/2006)

 Guyana

34 people began training as neighbourhood police at the University of Guyana. The neighbourhood policing project has been set up to promote safe neighbourhoods, help reduce crime and develop better relations between communities, the police force and general society. (28/03/2006)

India

Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced that an Expert Committee drafting a new Police Act will submit its report to government by May this year at a Conference of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police. He said that the new Police Act aimed to increase transparency and accountability in the police. (13/04/2006)

The United Nations praises the decision to provide a 125-member all female police unit for peacekeeping. (30/03/2006)

Kenya

Debate surrounds the 11 billion Kenya shillings allocated to modernise the police communication system. Despite the allocation, the system has not improved, and police continue to use outdated analogue equipment. (21/05/2006)

The Kenya police force has launched a new police website aimed at encouraging Kenyans to communicate with the police and to provide information about the police forces. (09/04/2006)

Malawi

The Malawi Human Rights Commission released a statement claiming that two policemen broke a suspect's leg and tortured several others using a knife, club and hammer in an attempt to get a confession. (03/07/06)

Oliver Mathews Kumbambe, a police veteran of 16 years, has been appointed as Malawi's new Inspector General of Police. His appointment comes after Parliament rejected the President's first proposed appointment, Mary Damson Nangwale. Kumbambe has said that he will encourage human rights training and sensitisation for police officers. (30/06/2006)

Opposition leaders have claimed police attacked a group of their supporters who attended court to watch the Vice President's bail hearing. The Vice President was detained after being accused of plotting to kill the President. The police have denied the allegations. (24/05/2006)

A police reforms bill was discussed in the last parliamentary sitting. (09/03/2006)

Malaysia

Suhakam, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, has not yet decided whether to conduct a public inquiry into recent allegations of police brutality during peaceful protests. (12/06/2006)

Prime Minister Badawi said that police objections to setting up an Independent Complaints and Misconduct Commission do not reflect the feelings of the majority of police. (31/05/2006)

The Bar Council identified the establishment of an independent police watchdog as a crucial step for police reform. The Council also released a booklet outlining the legal rights of a person arrested by police. (6/05/2006)

The Bar Council of Malaysia said that an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission is essential to support and encourage positive changes and reform in the police force. (07/04/2006)

Police used batons and water cannons to disperse hundreds of people in Kuala Lumpur protesting against rising fuel prices. Several protesters were seen being beaten and kicked by police before being handcuffed and arrested. (27/03/2006)

Mauritius

A suspect in a murder case died in police custody while under the responsibility of members of the Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT). The accused had been charged provisionally with conspiracy to commit murder. The cause of death was not immediately released. (17/01/2006)

Maldives

Ben Rogers, Deputy Chairman of the British Conservative Party's Human Rights Commission highlighted concerns about police brutality in the Maldives in a report following a recent visit. (12/06/2006)

Nigeria

Nigeria's Inspector General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, stated that he lacks the powers needed to discipline misbehaving police officers within his force. Ehindero went on to say that wide reforms were expected following the submission of the Presidential Committee on Police Reform's report to the President. He also said that the government had recognised the need for police reform to improve service delivery, put in place better service conditions and to ensure effective and accountable police responses. (28/06/2006)

An outdated curriculum and legislation dating from 1943 were identified as the major impediments preventing the efficient performance of the Nigeria Police Force by Kemi Asiwaju, with the Centre for Law Enforcement Education (20/06/2006)

The Inspector General of Police announced the report of the 12 member Police Reform Committee, set up in January to look at police reform possibilities in Nigeria, has been completed and will be provided to the government. (25/05/2006)

Pakistan

More than 1,250 cases of police torture were reported over the past 16 months, despite police reforms and creation of 'public safety commissions' at a district level. (25/05/2006)

Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi approved a major programme of police reform, aimed at improving police behaviour and making the police more people friendly. Measures outlined included centres for the registration of First Information Reports (the first step of police investigation of an alleged crime), recruitment, reconstruction of police stations, staff transfers and disciplinary action against officers who are failing to perform satisfactorily. (5/05/2006)

The Police and Revenue Departments were listed as the most corrupt government bodies by the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE). More than 50 percent of complaints registered with ACE are against the two departments. (04/04/2006)

Papua New Guinea

Australian police officers will be accepted back into the country, after the withdrawal last year of 150 police officers. The police left after their legal immunity was ruled invalid by the PNG Supreme Court. The police are used in an advisory capacity. (22/03/2006)

Negotiations for the return of Australian police officers to PNG, more than a year after the collapse of the last police assistance programme, are ongoing. The numbers of police involved in the revised programme could be far less than expected. 150 Australian police were withdrawn from PNG last year after the Supreme Court ruled their legal immunities invalid under the Constitution. (28/06/2006)

St Vincent and the Grenadines

The US Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour's 2005 report on human rights practices states that impunity within the police force has led to the use of excessive force, poor prison conditions, an overburdened court system, violence against women and the abuse of children. (10/04/2006)

Trinidad and Tobago

Police officers fatally shot three men they described as 'bandits' and a 'menace to society'. The officers involved were commended by the Commissioner of Police. Relatives of the men claimed police brutality. (10/06/2006)

Assistant Commissioner of Police Dennis Graham stated that an additional 37 officers were sent to the Police Complaints Authority to assist in a 2,300 case backlog. 6,000 complaints have been made against police officers since 1988, including complaints of police brutality, non-appearance at court, planting narcotics and tardiness. (09/06/2006)

Amnesty International's annual report drew attention to police violations of human rights, particularly highlighting unlawful killing, torture and ill treatment by the police. (25/05/2006)

The current Prime Minister agreed with the former Prime Minister that a proposal for Parliament to approve nominees to a Police Service Commission is flawed. However, the government accepted the proposal as part of a police reform Bill in a compromise to speed passage of the legislation. (16/03/2006)

United Kingdom

Home Office Secretary John Reid announced that a National Policing Board will be created to drive improvements and strengthen the governance of policing in England and Wales. The National Policing Board will provide a national forum for dialogue around the challenges facing policing. The main functions of the Board will be to set the national strategic priorities for policing, set priorities for the National Policing Improvement Agency, set priorities for the police reform programme, enable government and police leaders to monitor progress of the reform programme and provide a regular forum for debate and discussion around policing. (05/07/2006)

Allegations were made that an elite police unit used excessive force on a Muslim family during an anti-terror raid. (30/06/2006)

Home Secretary John Reid announced the delay of plans to merge police forces in England and Wales until autumn. (19/06/2006)

The latest report from the Oversight Commissioner for Northern Ireland on the status of police reforms following the Patten Commission recommendations in 1998 found that the police reform process is irreversible. The report also found that there is no issue that would stop Sinn Fein joining the Policing Board - Sinn Fein have refused to be part of the process until now on the basis that the reforms process has not gone far enough. (06/06/2006)

Britain's chief police officers asked the government to abandon a key reform introduced in 1993. Forces were set a 2009 deadline to become racially representative of the communities they serve, by boosting the numbers of ethnic minority officers. Police say the target is unrealistic and cannot be met. (31/03/2006)