citizen's arrest
(redirected from Civilian arrest)Also found in: Dictionary.
Related to Civilian arrest: Miranda rights, breach of the peace, felony, nightwalking, Indictable offence
citizen's arrest
an apprehending of a person by a member of the public. It is assumed in the UK that a private citizen (including a police constable) may arrest another without warrant if the citizen has witnessed the commission of a serious crime. Any force used must be reasonable (or in certain limited circumstances where there has been no unlawful conduct but there is a real threat of a breach of the peace interfering with the rights of another that would involve unreasonable violence).Collins Dictionary of Law © W.J. Stewart, 2006