Criminal Law
Police station
Know your rights
When arrested by the police and taken to a police station to be questioned you have the right to consult privately, free of charge with a solicitor of your choice prior to any interview taking place. This can either be over the telephone or in person.
Legal representation
Your interview at the police station plays a vital role in any Police / Crown Prosecution Service decision whether or not to prosecute or indeed whether further enquiries are needed prior to such a decision being made.
It is vitally important that you obtain legal representation at this stage. What is said or indeed not said during police interview will effect the future conduct of your case.
How to contact us
At this stage, when asked if you want a solicitor simply reply:
The police have a national database of legal firms who deal with criminal law and will contact us.
We will then obtain disclosure from the police and discuss this with you in private consultation prior to the interview taking place.
Without a solicitor the first you may hear about the offence and the evidence against you will be in the interview itself.
What now?
What you can expect
- The police will provide us with a brief outline as to the offence(s) and circumstances leading to your arrest.
- We will be informed as to the likely time of the interview, though there is quite often a lengthy delay whilst the police obtain statements/CCTV footage etc.
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If your matter proceeds to court:
- You may be eligible for legal aid.
- If not, we will provide you with the cost of representation.
- We have in-house higher court advocates to help you.
- If you wish to instruct a barrister of your choice, we have excellent relationships with local chambers to give you the best possible representation.
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- Tip:
Please be as detailed as possible. Include your industry along with any specific document requests. To help us best service your enquiry, we recommend that you first describe the issue you’re having before telling us what you want to achieve.