The police station is the first point of contact between a suspect and the criminal justice system, and the advice a solicitor gives there can shape the entire outcome of a case. A suspect under pressure, often frightened and unsure of their rights, depends on the solicitor to protect them during questioning and to make informed decisions about whether to speak. Knowing the rules cold — who is entitled to advice, when it can be delayed, how interviews must run, and what silence may cost — is core to acting effectively at this critical stage.
This lesson covers:
- The Right to Legal Advice — the universal, free right to consult a solicitor and the duty solicitor scheme.
- Exercising and Facilitating the Right — the suspect's options, changing their mind, and the police's duty not to discourage advice.
- Vulnerable Suspects and the Appropriate Adult — who needs support and what the appropriate adult does.
- Delaying Access to Legal Advice — when, by whom, and on what limited grounds access can be delayed.
- The Interview — timing rules, exceptions, and the solicitor's proper role.
- The Right to Silence and Adverse Inferences — how silence may be treated and when inferences arise.
- Advising a Suspect and Excluding Evidence — weighing advice, handling conflicts, and excluding confessions and unfair evidence.