Can a child do a citizen&#39;s arrest?
<p>I'm really interested to know if it's legal in London (UK) and Germany for a child, say at 13 or even aged 8, to do a citizen's arrest? On an adult, if that makes a difference.</p>

<p>This will probably depend on what you understand as a citizen's arrest and will probably differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.</p>
<hr />
<p>In Germany the closest thing to citizen's arrest is called <strong>Vorläufige Festnahme</strong> (<a href="https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stpo/englisch_stpo.html#p1155" rel="noreferrer">Provisional arrest</a>) and probably contains a different set of conditions when it can be used.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stpo/englisch_stpo.html#p1155" rel="noreferrer">§ 127 Provisional arrest </a><br />
(1) If a person is caught in the act or is being pursued, <strong>any person</strong> shall be authorised to arrest him provisionally, even without judicial order, if there is <strong>reason to suspect flight</strong> or <strong>if his identity cannot be immediately established</strong>. The establishment of the identity of a person by the public prosecution office or by police officers shall be governed by section 163b (1).<br />
...</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Through the usage of the word <strong>jedermann</strong> (any person), a child (minor) can also exercise this right.</p>
<hr />
<p><strong>Sources</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_stpo/englisch_stpo.html#p1155" rel="noreferrer">§ 127 Provisional arrest - German Code of Criminal Procedure
(Strafprozeßordnung – StPO)</a></li>
</ul>

<h2>Yes</h2>
<p>Under <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/24A/2012-07-25" rel="nofollow noreferrer">s24A</a> of the <em>Police and Criminal Evidence Act</em> 1984 the power is given to “A person other than a constable”. A child is “a person other than a constable”.</p>

<p><a href="/questions/tagged/england-and-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;england-and-wales&#39;" rel="tag">england-and-wales</a></p>
<p><strong>Short answer</strong>: Yes, but with some limitations - none of which are age-related so do not restrict a citizen's arrest to adults only.</p>
<p><strong>Long answer:</strong> The relevant legislation is at <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/60/section/24A?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">s.24A of the Policeand Criminal Evidence Act 1984</a> which begins with:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(1) <strong>A person</strong> other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Which is followed by the limitations on its use:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li><p>(a) anyone who is in the act of committing an indictable offence;</p>
</li>
<li><p>(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be committing an indictable offence.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>(2) Where an indictable offence has been committed, a person other than a constable may arrest without a warrant—</p>
<ul>
<li><p>(a) anyone who is guilty of the offence;</p>
</li>
<li><p>(b) anyone whom he has reasonable grounds for suspecting to be guilty of it.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>(3) But the power of summary arrest conferred by subsection (1) or (2) is exercisable only if—</p>
<ul>
<li><p>(a) the person making the arrest has reasonable grounds for believing that for any of the reasons mentioned in subsection (4) it is necessary to arrest the person in question; and</p>
</li>
<li><p>(b) it appears to the person making the arrest that it is not reasonably practicable for a constable to make it instead.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>(4) The reasons are to prevent the person in question—</p>
<ul>
<li><p>(a) causing physical injury to himself or any other person;</p>
</li>
<li><p>(b) suffering physical injury;</p>
</li>
<li><p>(c) causing loss of or damage to property; or</p>
</li>
<li><p>(d) making off before a constable can assume responsibility for him.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>(5) This section does not apply in relation to an offence under <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64/part/III?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Part 3</a> or <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1986/64/part/3A?timeline=false" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3A</a> of the Public Order Act 1986. [ being <em>racial hatred</em> and <em>hatred against persons on religious grounds or grounds of sexual orientation</em> respectively.]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The opening phrase of &quot;<em>a person</em>&quot; is not defined in this or any related Act, nor has the question of age in this context ever been considered the courts (as far as I have been able to establish) - so in the absence of any statutory definition or case law its <a href="https://www.lexico.com/definition/person?locale=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">normal and everyday meaning</a> should be used.</p>

england-and-wales germany citizens-arrest