Member

This amendment is grounded in the recognition that authorised firearms officers operate in uniquely dangerous, fast-moving and high-pressure environments, where decisions about lethal force must be taken, often in fractions of a second. Unlike civilians, such officers are routinely required by the state to confront armed and violent individuals in order to protect the public. The criminal law has long acknowledged that context matters when assessing culpability. This amendment would recalibrate liability to reflect the exceptional circumstances in which firearms officers are required to act and seeks to address the chilling effect that the prospect of murder convictions may have on armed policing. If armed officers fear that split-second errors of judgment could result in a murder charge, they may hesitate in circumstances where decisive action is required to save lives. By providing legal certainty that honest operational mistakes will not attract the most severe criminal sanction, we believe that this amendment supports effective law enforcement while maintaining accountability for unlawful conduct.