Police Station Solicitors — 24 Hour
You have an absolute right to a solicitor at the police station. It is free. It cannot be denied. And what you say — or do not say — in that interview determines everything that follows.
A police interview under caution is not an informal conversation. It is recorded evidence that the prosecution will use. Whether you are there voluntarily or under arrest, exercising the right to silence, giving a prepared statement, or answering questions — the decision must be made after taking legal advice, not before. A solicitor attends within the hour, takes your instructions, reviews the disclosure, and advises you on the right course before the tape starts rolling.
What Happens at the Police Station
Police station advice — what a solicitor does and why every decision matters.
The police station is where the prosecution case is built — or lost. A solicitor does not just sit next to you in the interview. They shape the strategy before the tape runs, and protect you from answers that could be used against you.
The right to legal advice — free and immediate
Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), everyone detained at a police station has an absolute right to free legal advice — from either the duty solicitor or their own nominated solicitor. The police cannot begin an interview before you have had the opportunity to speak with a solicitor, unless you waive the right. You should never waive it. The cost is met by the Legal Aid Agency — your financial circumstances are irrelevant at the police station stage. A solicitor will be with you as quickly as possible from the first call.
Disclosure — what the police must tell the solicitor
Before the interview begins, the police must disclose to the solicitor sufficient information about the allegation to enable meaningful legal advice to be given. A solicitor will speak with the custody sergeant and investigating officer to obtain disclosure — what offence is alleged, what the evidence is, and what questions the police intend to ask. The adequacy of disclosure determines the advice given on how to respond in interview. Where disclosure is inadequate, a solicitor will press for more before advising the client to say anything.
Silence, prepared statement, or questions
A solicitor will advise on whether to answer questions in interview, give a prepared statement, or exercise the right to silence. Each option has different legal consequences. Answering questions can provide evidence that contradicts the prosecution — or that the defence can use. A prepared statement sets out the client's account without the risk of cross-examination in the interview. Silence avoids self-incrimination but, since the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, adverse inferences can be drawn at trial where the client fails to mention facts later relied on in their defence. A solicitor navigates these risks before the interview starts.
Voluntary attendance versus arrest
A person attending a voluntary interview is not under arrest — they can leave at any time, though the police can arrest them if they do. But a voluntary interview is still conducted under caution, still recorded, and the answers still form part of the evidence. A person who receives a request for voluntary attendance should contact a solicitor before agreeing to attend — a solicitor may advise that it is not in the client's interest to attend voluntarily, and may insist on formal arrest with the attendant rights and time limits that it triggers.
Bail conditions and release under investigation
At the end of the interview, the custody sergeant will make a decision — charge, release under investigation (RUI), or bail with conditions. Pre-charge bail conditions (not to contact witnesses, not to return to a specific address, surrender passport) restrict the client's freedom while the investigation continues. A solicitor can challenge conditions that are disproportionate or unnecessary at a bail review. RUI — release with no conditions while the investigation is ongoing — can last months or years. A solicitor will advise on the implications and keep the position under review.
Searches, samples, and intimate searches
The police have powers to search a detained person, their property, and in some cases to require samples — non-intimate (mouth swab, hair, fingerprints) and intimate (blood, urine). A solicitor will advise on what the police can and cannot require, the consequences of refusal, and whether the search or sample request is lawful in the specific circumstances. Evidence obtained unlawfully can be challenged and excluded at trial — but this challenge is much easier to pursue where a solicitor was present to observe the circumstances at the police station.