The police have the power to arrest anyone suspected of certain kinds of criminal acts. They will then normally interview that suspect under caution. If a suspect is not arrested, they can still agree to be interviewed under caution by the police or certain other investigators (e.g. for financial crimes).
'Under Caution'
If you are interviewed under caution, you will be told that you do not have to say anything. But you will also be warned that if you do not mention to the police or investigators any defence or explanation you might have, then if matters progress to Court, the Court may be invited to treat any defence or explanation you later try to use with suspicion.
That is why it is so important to have good-quality legal representation at a police station or at any interview under caution. Having an experienced solicitor who specialises in criminal law and arrest and police station advice is vital to give you clear advice and to help you before and during your interview.
You can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and because we have offices across the country we can be with you very quickly if necessary.
Search Warrants
If the police or other investigators believe that they have reasonable grounds to do so, they can get a warrant from the Court to search your home or business premises. A warrant can be given by the Court to enter at any time of day, but it is quite common for the police to use it very early in the morning – taking you by surprise at a time when you are most vulnerable.
The police will normally look for any evidence that might be useful in their case and can take documents and computer equipment away with them. They might just ‘image’ the documents they want from your hard-drive or other electronic devices.
You might or might not be arrested at the same time.
If you are subjected to a search warrant, call us immediately for clear advice.
How Irwin Mitchell Can Help You: Arrest And Police Station Advice
Arrest and Interview under Caution
We have a team of dedicated, experienced solicitors who specialise in criminal law. One of our solicitors can be there to help you before your interview starts and will be there next to you during the whole interview.
We can meet you at the police station or wherever your interview is to take place. We will ask the police or investigators what they plan to ask you and then we will discuss these with you before the interview starts. We will also advise you whether you should remain silent or answer the questions.
If your home or office has been searched, we can advise you about whether it was legal for the police or investigators to do so and we can see what can be done about having your property returned to you.
Our lawyers are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we know that getting good advice, fast, is very important in these circumstances. All of our lawyers are very experienced in attending interviews and assisting clients in taking the right approach when answering police questions.
Getting good advice before and during an interview is really important to getting the best end result for you. So if you have:
- been arrested
- are on police bail
- have been charged
or if you believe that you might be arrested, perhaps because you are under suspicion, contact our expert team as soon as possible for solid advice and representation.
Search Warrants
If you are able to contact us quickly enough, we can be there at your home or office during a search. We can make sure that information and property is being taken legally or, if we can, argue that it should not be touched. We will do everything possible to make sure that the range of information or property that can be looked at or taken is as limited as possible.
We can also make sure that original documents are returned to you. We will do everything we can to reduce the chaos and disruption to your home life and business operations.
Funding Your Case
We usually attend searches, police stations or interviews under caution on a privately paying basis. Legal aid is available for help at the police station. If you cannot afford to pay privately or if your assets have been seized or frozen – we will tell you if legal aid is available to you.
We will always discuss with you the likely costs of your case and will tell you if the cost is likely to be more or less than expected.
For an initial discussion, with no obligation, call Jason Newall on 0114 294 7983. Alternatively you can contact us online and we will get back to you.
For general enquiries
0808 291 3524
Or we can call you back at a time of your choice
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