Police Station Representation
It’s important not to neglect to exercise your legal right of having a solicitor at the Police Station. Whether you’re detained or attending voluntarily for an interview, it’s important you have a solicitor with you.
Legal representation is a fundamental right.
What you say and how you act in a Police Station during an interview can have a large influence on your remaining criminal process. That’s why having a solicitor there is important so we can protect you and further your rights.
Having no representation at the police station means you’re at a disadvantage if your case goes to court. Your defence solicitor will not have the sufficient knowledge of what happened during the interview and the experience would have been daunting for you.
Important things to consider:
- Our criminal team is available for contact 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.
- You have a right to silence if you’re facing accusations of committing a crime. You’re within your rights to wait for legal representation before answering any police questions.
- It’s your entitlement to ask for a solicitor. Asking for one is not an admission of guilt.
Support and guidance with every stage
If you’re arrested, you will be read a caution which your solicitor can explain to you. It essentially explains that you can refuse to answer questions. However, it may harm your defence which you may rely on in court and anything you do say can be used as evidence. Furthermore, you have the right to tell someone of your arrest, see a copy of the Codes of Practice under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, see a medical professional free of charge if you feel unwell and have access to a solicitor (your solicitor or a duty solicitor).
This is completely dependent on the reasons for arrest. The police can arrest you and keep you in custody for 24 hours. Additionally, they can extend that by a further 12 hours depending on the circumstances. However, if they want to keep you beyond 36 hours they have to apply to the Magistrates Court for a warrant of further detention.
The police must inform you of your rights to having a solicitor represent you during an interview at the station. You can ask for the police station’s duty solicitor who is available 24 hours a day. Additionally, you could get the police to contact the Defence Solicitor Call Centre or your own solicitor. If your offence is less serious you can have legal advice over the phone. It’s important to exercise your right to representation as soon as possible so that you can be best advised on what you should or should not say in the interview.
We can promptly speak to the arresting officers to find out details of the reason for your arrest. We will also seek disclosure to see what evidence they have against you. In addition, we can have a private consultation with you and discuss a strategy on how best to move forward in relation to the strength of their evidence against you. This includes our expert interview procedure advice. We may believe it’s in your best interests to decline to answer any questions until more information is available. Alternatively, we may suggest producing a written statement of your case is the best way forward. Most importantly we will protect your rights and ensure your interview is conducted fairly.