Proposed changes to PACE will remove the need for a judicial authority
soon,
I understand.

Where did you get this, Steve?

The proposals are he
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/oper...s/PACE-Review/

The previous consultation included a desire to "rationalise" the process
of obtaining a judicial warrant and the new version wants ways of
"reducing, where possible, administrative and bureaucratic process on
the police and on the courts" whilst at the same time "we do not propose
to make changes to the existing statutory structure" whatever that means.

There's a lot of very nasty stuff in the consultation, have a read.