NCJ Number
141228
Date Published
1992
Length
132 pages
Annotation
Revisions to the Great Britain Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act have affected police procedures regarding the detention, treatment, and questioning of suspects.
Abstract
The principal changes mandate that more information must be given to suspects about the right to legal advice, that suspects are to be told of their entitlements over and above their statutory rights, that interviews away from police stations may be conducted only in limited circumstances, and that the role of "appropriate adult" to supervise juvenile suspects is more narrowly defined. Research was conducted on the practices of six police forces in Great Britain, both before and after implementation of the new codes. The findings showed that most suspects were informed of their rights in writing and the majority were given at least some relevant verbal information. There was a dramatic increase in the proportion of suspects requesting legal advice, although contact with a solicitor was actually made by custody officers in 87 percent of the cases. The proportion of cases in which police officers questioned suspects prior to arriving at the station fell, as did the number of suspects who confessed prior to arrival at the station. Social workers, rather than parents, most often acted as the appropriate adult in juvenile cases; compared to adults, juveniles remained at a disadvantage concerning information received about their rights and in their implementation. The report concludes that the revisions made some progress in influencing police behavior. 1 appendix and 22 references