A new phase of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) coming into effect this September will give Police the power to enter and search premises without a warrant.

However, the Police must have reasonable grounds that the suspect they are pursuing for arrest is on the premises, according to the Attorney General, who gave an update on PACE in last Wednesday's Senate.

"Police will have new powers to enter and search any premises without warrant for a number of reasons," Sen. Kim Wilson said in a ministerial statement. "These include pursuing a person unlawfully at large, seeking to arrest a person suspected of committing an arrestable offence, and the apprehension of a person wanted in connection with a court warrant issued in respect of an arrestable offence."

Sen. Wilson sought to assure the public that this new power did not mean Police can simply enter any home at any time.

"The Police will not just come knocking on your door," she told The Royal Gazette following her Senate progress report.

She added that Police can still enter any premises without a search warrant "to save life or limb or prevent serious damage to property".

Sen. Wilson told the Senate that a PACE Amendment Bill will be presented to the House of Assembly in the coming weeks.