# The Police (Conduct) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016, Paragraph 4.1: Article 4 Use of Force


Police officers, in carrying out their duties, shall as far as possible apply non-violent methods before resorting to any use of force. Any use of force shall be the minimum appropriate in the circumstances and shall reflect a graduated and flexible response to the threat. Police officers may use force only if other means remain ineffective or have no realistic chance of achieving the intended result.
(Sourced from: Article 4 United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.)

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/41/schedule/paragraph/4.1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/police-conduct-regulations-northern-ireland-2016/schedule/paragraph-4.1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.