55Arrest

### 55 Arrest > > (1)  Any police officer may arrest, without warrant, any person found offending against any of the provisions of – > > > > > > (a) [Division I](#HPII@HDI@EN) of [Part II](#HPII@EN) ; > > > > > > > (b) [Parts III](#HPIII@EN) to [V](#HPV@EN) ; or > > > > > > > (c) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (1) amended by No. 86 of 2001, s. 20, Applied:17 Dec 2001\]*](/view/html/inforce/2001-12-17/act-2001-086#GS20@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (1) amended by No. 29 of 2004, s. 11, Applied:23 Sep 2004\]*](/view/html/inforce/2004-09-23/act-2004-029#GS11@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (1) amended by No. 11 of 2010, s. 5, Applied:27 Jul 2010\]*](/view/html/inforce/2010-07-27/act-2010-011#GS5@EN) [section 15B](#GS15B@EN) , [15C](#GS15C@EN) , [15D](#GS15D@EN) or [15F](#GS15F@EN) ; or > > > > > > > (ca) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (1) amended by No. 39 of 2007, s. 17, Applied:21 Nov 2007\]*](/view/html/inforce/2007-11-21/act-2007-039#GS17@Hpa@EN) [section 20K](#GS20K@EN) ; or > > > > > > > (d) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (1) amended by No. 29 of 2004, s. 11, Applied:23 Sep 2004\]*](/view/html/inforce/2004-09-23/act-2004-029#GS11@EN) [section 37J(1)](#GS37J@Gs1@EN) . > > > (2)  Where a police officer is empowered to arrest any such person, it is the duty of such officer to exercise such power unless he has reasonable grounds for believing that the purposes of this Act, or of the Act conferring such power, as the case may be, will be adequately served by proceeding against the offender by summons. > > > (2A)  *\[Section 55 Subsection (2A) inserted by No. 74 of 1982, s. 8 \]*A police officer may arrest, without warrant, any person found offending against [section 14A](#GS14A@EN) . > > > (2B)  [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2B) amended by No. 22 of 2022, s. 5, Applied:20 Sep 2022\]*](/view/html/inforce/2022-09-20/act-2022-022#GS5@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2B) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 8, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS8@Hpa@EN) *\[Section 55 Subsection (2B) inserted by No. 74 of 1982, s. 8 \]**\[Section 55 Subsection (2B) amended by No. 4 of 1992, s. 6 \]*Subject to [subsection (2C)](#GS55@Gs2C@EN) , a police officer may arrest, without warrant, any person whom he believes on reasonable grounds to be on or in any land, building, structure, premises, aircraft, vehicle or vessel without the consent of the owner, occupier or person in charge of the land, building, structure, premises, aircraft, vehicle or vessel. > > > (2C)  *\[Section 55 Subsection (2C) inserted by No. 74 of 1982, s. 8 \]*The power of arrest conferred by [subsection (2B)](#GS55@Gs2B@EN) is not exercisable – > > > > > > (a) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2C) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 8, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS8@Hpb@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2C) amended by No. 49 of 2009, s. 12, Applied:12 Nov 2009\]*](/view/html/inforce/2009-11-12/act-2009-049#GS12@EN) unless the police officer has previously requested the person in relation to whom he seeks to exercise the power to leave the land, building, structure, premises, aircraft, vehicle or vessel concerned and that person has refused or failed to comply with the request or, having complied with the request, returns to the land, building, structure, premises, aircraft, vehicle or vessel concerned within 14 days after so complying without the consent of the owner or occupier; or > > > > > > > (b) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2C) amended by No. 77 of 2003, s. 8, Applied:15 Dec 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-12-15/act-2003-077#GS8@Hpc@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2C) amended by No. 22 of 2022, s. 5, Applied:20 Sep 2022\]*](/view/html/inforce/2022-09-20/act-2022-022#GS5@Hpb@EN) if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing that that person has some reasonable or lawful excuse for being on or in that land, building, structure, premises, aircraft, vehicle or vessel. > > > (2D)  [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 14 of 2023, s. 5, Applied:30 Nov 2023\]*](/view/html/inforce/2023-11-30/act-2023-014#GS5@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 27 of 2020, s. 30, Applied:01 Jul 2021\]*](/view/html/inforce/2021-07-01/act-2020-027#GS30@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 13 of 2018, s. 5, Applied:01 Jan 2019\]*](/view/html/inforce/2019-01-01/act-2018-013#GS5@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 22 of 2018, s. 6, Applied:15 Oct 2018\]*](/view/html/inforce/2018-10-15/act-2018-022#GS6@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 15 of 2014, s. 47, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS47@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) amended by No. 39 of 2007, s. 17, Applied:21 Nov 2007\]*](/view/html/inforce/2007-11-21/act-2007-039#GS17@Hpb@EN) *\[Section 55 Subsection (2D) inserted by No. 21 of 1992, s. 11 \]*A police officer may, without warrant, arrest any person whom the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing has committed an offence under [section 6A(14)](#GS6A@Gs14@EN) or [(15)](#GS6A@Gs15@EN) , [section 6C](#GS6C@EN) , [section 6D](#GS6D@EN) , [section 13A](#GS13A@EN) , [section 13B](#GS13B@EN) , [section 13C](#GS13C@EN) , [section 15CA(1)](#GS15CA@EN) , [section 20C(1)](#GS20C@Gs1@EN) , [section 21](#GS21@EN) , [section 21A](#GS21A@EN) , [section 35](#GS35@EN) , [section 37AA(1)](#GS37AA@Gs1@EN) , [section 37B](#GS37B@EN) , [section 37S(1)](#GS37S@Gs1@EN) or [(2)](#GS37S@Gs2@EN) , [section 37SA(2)](#GS37SA@Gs2@EN) or [(3)](#GS37SA@Gs3@EN) , [section 37ZC(6)](#GS37ZC@Gs6@EN) or [(7)](#GS37ZC@Gs7@EN) , [section 37ZD(3A)](#GS37ZD@Gs3A@EN) or [(4)](#GS37ZD@Gs4@EN) or [section 38B(1)](#GS38B@Gs1@EN) . > > > (2E)  [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2E) amended by No. 67 of 2004, Sched. 1, Applied:30 Mar 2005\]*](/view/html/inforce/2005-03-30/act-2004-067#JS1@Ja8@GC2@EN) *\[Section 55 Subsection (2E) inserted by No. 21 of 1992, s. 11 \]*A police officer may, without warrant, arrest a person to facilitate the making of an application for a restraint order under [Part XA of the](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1959-077#HPXA@EN) [Justices Act 1959](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1959-077) or a family violence order, if the police officer has reasonable grounds for believing– > > > > > > (a) that the person has intimidated another person; and > > > > > > > (b) that the intimidation is likely to continue and give rise to an assault. > > > (2F)  *\[Section 55 Subsection (2F) inserted by No. 21 of 1992, s. 11 \]*For the purposes of [subsection (2E)](#GS55@Gs2E@EN) , intimidation may be verbal, physical or both verbal and physical. > > > (2G)  [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2G) inserted by No. 86 of 2001, s. 20, Applied:17 Dec 2001\]*](/view/html/inforce/2001-12-17/act-2001-086#GS20@Hpb@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (2G) omitted by No. 15 of 2014, s. 47, Applied:19 Dec 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-12-19/act-2014-015#GS47@Hpb@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (3)  *\[Section 55 Subsection (3) amended by No. 71 of 1962, s. 11 \]*Any person may arrest, without warrant, any person found offending against any provision of this Act if such offence involves – > > > > > > (a) substantial injury to the person of another; > > > > > > > (b) serious danger of such injury; > > > > > > > (c) loss of any property of the person so arresting, or of any person by whom he is authorized to effect the arrest; or loss of any property of which the person arresting has charge; > > > > > > > (d) serious injury to any property; or > > > > > > > (e) injury to the property of a public authority. > > > (3A)  [*\[Section 55 Subsection (3A) amended by No. 27 of 2013, s. 56, Applied:01 Mar 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-03-01/act-2013-027#GS56@EN) [*\[Section 55 Subsection (3A) inserted by No. 49 of 1999, Sched. 1, Applied:01 Feb 2000\]*](/view/html/inforce/2000-02-01/act-1999-049#JS1@Ja11@GC1@EN) The power of a police officer to arrest a person under this section is subject to the limits imposed on the power of arrest by [sections 24](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1997-081#GS24@EN) and [24A](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1997-081#GS24A@EN) of the [Youth Justice Act 1997](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-1997-081) . > > > (4)  For the purposes of this section, an offence shall be deemed to involve any of the matters specified in [subsection (3)](#GS55@Gs3@EN) if the person arresting has reasonable grounds for believing that such matter has been, or will be, the consequence of any act of the offender in committing such offence. > > > (5)  For the purposes of this section, a person is said to be "found offending" if he does any act, or makes any omission, or conducts or behaves himself, and thereby causes a person who finds him reasonable grounds for believing that he has, in respect of such act, omission, or conduct, committed an offence against this Act.