20Constables: general duties
(1)It is the duty of a constable—
(a)to prevent and detect crime,
(b)to maintain order,
(c)to protect life and property,
(d)to take such lawful measures, and make such reports to the appropriate prosecutor, as may be needed to bring offenders with all due speed to justice,
(e)where required, to serve and execute a warrant, citation or deliverance issued, or process duly endorsed, by a Lord Commissioner of Justiciary, sheriff, justice of the peace or stipendiary magistrate in relation to criminal proceedings, and
(f)to attend court to give evidence.
(2)When taking lawful measures in pursuance of subsection (1)(d), a constable must take every precaution to ensure that a person charged with an offence is not unreasonably or unnecessarily detained in custody.
(3)Subsection (2) does not prejudice the operation of section 135(3) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.46).