No. You have a right to stay silent, and you cannot be forced to answer questions in a police interview. However, in England and Wales the caution warns that it may harm your defence if you do not mention something you later rely on in court. Under sections 34 to 38 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, a court may be allowed to draw an adverse inference from silence in some situations. You are entitled to free legal advice before deciding how to approach an interview.

In most stop and search situations, no. PACE Code A says you are under no obligation to give your name, address or date of birth for the search record. There are exceptions. Drivers must give their name and address when asked under the Road Traffic Act 1988, and refusing to give details to an officer who believes you have behaved antisocially is an offence under section 50 of the Police Reform Act 2002. If police want to report you for an offence and cannot find out who you are, they may be able to arrest you instead.

Police can normally hold you for up to 24 hours from arriving at the police station before they must charge or release you. For an indictable offence (one that can be tried in the Crown Court), a superintendent can extend this to 36 hours. After that, police must apply to a magistrates' court, which can authorise further detention up to a maximum of 96 hours in total. Different rules apply under terrorism legislation, which allows detention for up to 14 days with court approval. Being released does not always mean the case is over.

Yes. Anyone arrested or interviewed under caution at a police station in England and Wales is entitled to free and independent legal advice, whatever their income or immigration status and whether they are under arrest or attending voluntarily. This right comes from section 58 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and PACE Code C. For some less serious matters, such as non-imprisonable offences, the free advice may be given by phone only, but a solicitor will usually attend in person if you are to be interviewed about an imprisonable offence.

Released under investigation means police have let you go without charge and without bail while they keep investigating. There are no conditions and no date to return to the police station. The investigation is still open, and you could later be charged, asked to attend another interview, given an out-of-court resolution or told no further action will be taken. Police guidance expects investigators to keep you updated. If you are unsure whether you are on bail or released under investigation, ask the officer in the case or your solicitor.

That is your decision, but get legal advice first, which is free at the police station. A caution is only allowed if you admit the offence, so accepting one means admitting guilt, and it becomes part of your criminal record. It can be disclosed on standard and enhanced DBS checks, and may affect jobs, travel visas or immigration. You can refuse a caution, but police or the CPS may then decide to charge you. If you do not accept you committed the offence, a caution should not be given.

A conviction becomes spent when its rehabilitation period under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 ends. For most sentences, that is a set time after the sentence finishes, including any time on licence. The periods were shortened by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 from 28 October 2023, and the new periods apply to older convictions too. Some convictions are never spent, including prison sentences of over four years for serious violent, sexual or terrorist offences. A new conviction during a rehabilitation period can extend it.

If you reach 12 or more penalty points within three years, the court must normally disqualify you for at least six months under the totting-up rules in section 35 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. The minimum rises to one year if you have had one ban of 56 days or more in the previous three years, and two years if you have had two or more. Totting-up cases are always dealt with in court, not by fixed penalty. The court can decide not to ban you, or ban you for less, only if you prove exceptional hardship.

Under the Sentencing Council guilty plea guideline, pleading guilty at the first stage of proceedings (usually the first hearing where a plea is asked for) earns a reduction of up to one third. After that the maximum is one quarter. The reduction then slides down to about one tenth on the first day of trial, and can be less or nothing once the trial is under way. Different rules apply to murder and to offences with minimum sentences. A solicitor can advise on the evidence before you decide how to plead.

Call 999 if a crime is happening now, someone is in danger, or a suspect is nearby. For non-emergencies, call 101 or report online through your local police force's website, which many forces link to from police.uk. If you are deaf or speech-impaired, you can use text relay or register for emergency SMS. To give information without giving your name, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. You will normally receive a crime reference number, which you will need for updates, insurance and any compensation claim.