Rice v Connolly

Rice v. Connolly is an English legal precedent holding that there is no strict, general legal duty to assist a police officer prior to any possible arrest or caution, with even basic police enquiries nor to accompany the officer to a requested location.

Background

Leonard Rice on 20 March 1965 would not give his forename, nor full address, nor accompany the officer to a requested place. The police prosecuted him as such and magistrates, considering the statutory words "wilfully obstructs", convicted him.
He appealed against conviction: for such obstruction of a constable when in the execution of his duty.

Appellate decision

It was held that "although every citizen had a moral or social duty to assist the police, there was no relevant legal duty to that effect in the circumstances of the present case, and the appellant had been entitled to decline to answer the questions put to him and to accompany the police officer".