England & Wales · Criminal law
Criminal law guides and FAQs (England & Wales)
306 plain-English answers about criminal law in England & Wales, from being stopped by police to sentencing, criminal records and victims' rights. Every answer is written from official sources and checked against the law as at 25 September 2026.
Legal information only, not legal advice. See how we check, our sources and recent changes.
Free tools
What happens next?The criminal process step by step, with time limits and your rights at each stage.
Spent convictions checkerWhen a conviction, caution or other outcome becomes spent, and what checks show.
Penalty points calculatorPoints, totting-up bans, the new driver rule and drink-drive limits.
Stop and search checkerCheck what police should have told you, and how to get your record or complain.
Guilty plea discountHow much a guilty plea can reduce a sentence, by stage.
Someone I know has been arrestedWhat happens to them, and what family and friends can do.
Going to court checklistWhat to take and do, and questions to ask your solicitor.
Criminal law glossaryPlain-English meanings of common legal terms.
Ask LawBotFree AI assistant for general questions about criminal law in England & Wales.
Topic guides
Stop and Search12 questions · Police in England and Wales can usually only search you if they have reasonable grounds to…Arrest and Police Custody12 questions · Police can arrest you if they reasonably suspect you of an offence and arrest is necessary.…Police Interviews and the Right to Silence12 questions · You have the right to stay silent in a police interview in England and Wales, but a court may…Solicitors and Legal Aid12 questions · Legal advice at the police station is free for everyone, whatever their income. For court…Bail, Released Under Investigation and Remand12 questions · After arrest you may be released on pre-charge bail, which has time limits and can have…Charges, Cautions and Prosecution Decisions12 questions · Police decide on charge in less serious cases, and the Crown Prosecution Service decides in…Magistrates' and Crown Court12 questions · Every criminal case in England and Wales starts in the magistrates' court. Less serious cases…Sentencing12 questions · Courts in England and Wales choose a sentence by following Sentencing Council guidelines…Criminal Records, Spent Convictions and DBS12 questions · Most convictions and cautions in England and Wales become spent after a set rehabilitation…Youth Justice (Under 18s)12 questions · In England and Wales children can be prosecuted from the age of 10, but under-18s are dealt…Motoring Offences12 questions · Most motoring offences in England and Wales are dealt with by fixed penalty or in the…Victims and Witnesses12 questions · Victims of crime in England and Wales have rights under the Victims' Code, from being kept…When Someone You Know Is Arrested12 questions · If someone you know is arrested in England or Wales, police can usually hold them for up to…
Offence guides
What each offence means, where it is tried, the maximum penalty and common defences. See all 30 offence guides.
Every question, by topic
Stop and Search (12)
- Can the police stop and search me for no reason?
- What is a section 60 stop and search?
- Can the police search me for drugs?
- What must a police officer tell me before searching me?
- Do I have to give police my name and address when stopped?
- Can police make me take my clothes off during a search?
- Can the police search my car?
- How do I get a copy of my stop and search record?
- Can I film the police during a stop and search?
- What is stop and account, and do I have to answer?
- What happens if I refuse to be searched?
- How do I complain about a stop and search?
Arrest and Police Custody (12)
- When can the police arrest me?
- What does the police caution mean?
- What happens when I arrive at the police station after arrest?
- What are my rights in police custody?
- How long can the police keep me in a cell?
- What is a detention review?
- What if I need medical help or medication in police custody?
- Can police take my fingerprints, DNA and photo?
- How long do police keep my DNA and fingerprints if I'm not charged?
- Can the police search my home after arresting me?
- Is going to the police station voluntarily different from being arrested?
- What is an appropriate adult and who needs one?
Police Interviews and the Right to Silence (12)
- Do I have to answer police questions in an interview?
- What is an interview under caution?
- What does "no comment" mean in a police interview?
- Can a court hold my silence in interview against me?
- What is a special warning in a police interview?
- What is a prepared statement?
- Is a police interview recorded?
- Can I have a solicitor in my police interview?
- What if I don't speak English well or am deaf?
- Can I leave a voluntary police interview?
- Can police interview me without a solicitor?
- What happens after a police interview?
Solicitors and Legal Aid (12)
- Is legal advice at the police station free?
- How do I get a solicitor at the police station?
- Can the police stop me seeing a solicitor?
- Can I get legal aid for the magistrates' court?
- What is the interests of justice test for legal aid?
- What are the income limits for criminal legal aid in the magistrates' court?
- Will I have to pay towards legal aid in the Crown Court?
- Can I represent myself in a criminal case?
- Can I change my solicitor if I'm on legal aid?
- What is the difference between a solicitor and a barrister in a criminal case?
- Can I get my legal costs back if I'm found not guilty?
- How do I find a criminal defence solicitor?
Bail, Released Under Investigation and Remand (12)
- What is pre-charge bail?
- How long can I be on pre-charge bail?
- What does released under investigation (RUI) mean?
- How long can I be released under investigation?
- What happens if I break my bail conditions?
- What is post-charge police bail?
- Do I have a right to bail at court?
- What bail conditions can a court impose?
- What happens if I miss court or fail to answer bail?
- What does being remanded in custody mean?
- What are custody time limits?
- Can I appeal if I'm refused bail?
Charges, Cautions and Prosecution Decisions (12)
- Who decides whether I will be charged with a crime?
- What is the Full Code Test?
- What does NFA (no further action) mean?
- What is the difference between a charge, a postal requisition and a summons?
- What are out-of-court resolutions?
- What is a community resolution?
- What is the difference between a simple caution and a conditional caution?
- Should I accept a police caution?
- Will a caution show up on a DBS check?
- Can a victim challenge a decision not to prosecute?
- Is there a time limit for the police to charge me?
- Can I bring a private prosecution?
Magistrates' and Crown Court (12)
- What is the difference between summary, either-way and indictable-only offences?
- What happens at the first hearing in the magistrates' court?
- Can I choose to have my case tried by a jury?
- Are jury trials being scrapped for some cases?
- What is the maximum sentence a magistrates' court can give?
- What happens at a criminal trial?
- What should I wear and bring to court?
- What happens if I miss my court date?
- What is the youth court?
- How do I appeal against a magistrates' court decision?
- How do I appeal against a Crown Court conviction or sentence?
- What is the Criminal Cases Review Commission?
Sentencing (12)
- What types of sentence can a criminal court give?
- How do judges decide what sentence to give?
- How much off my sentence do I get for pleading guilty?
- What are aggravating and mitigating factors?
- Will I get a suspended sentence instead of prison?
- What is a community order?
- How much of a prison sentence will I actually serve?
- What happens on licence, and can I be recalled to prison?
- What is a pre-sentence report?
- Will I have to pay a victim surcharge, costs or compensation?
- Can I appeal against my sentence?
- Can a sentence be increased if it is too lenient?
Criminal Records, Spent Convictions and DBS (12)
- When does a conviction become spent?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for adults?
- How long are the rehabilitation periods for under-18s?
- Are cautions spent straight away?
- Do I have to tell an employer about my criminal record?
- What is the difference between basic, standard and enhanced DBS checks?
- What is DBS filtering and when will an old offence stop showing?
- Will a youth caution show up on a DBS check?
- Can I get my record deleted from the Police National Computer?
- Do motoring offences and penalty points go on my criminal record?
- Do I have to declare a spent conviction when travelling abroad?
- Where can I get help with a criminal record?
Youth Justice (Under 18s) (12)
- What is the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales?
- What happens if a child is arrested?
- What does an appropriate adult do?
- What is a youth caution or youth conditional caution?
- What is the youth court and how is it different?
- What is a referral order?
- What is a youth rehabilitation order?
- Can a child be sent to custody?
- What is a youth offending team?
- What are parents' responsibilities if their child is in trouble with the law?
- Can a child who is accused of a crime be named in the media?
- Will a youth conviction stay on a child's record?
Motoring Offences (12)
- What is a Notice of Intended Prosecution?
- Do I have to tell the police who was driving?
- What happens if I am caught speeding?
- How long do penalty points stay on my licence?
- How many points before I get banned from driving?
- Can I avoid a driving ban for exceptional hardship or special reasons?
- What happens if I get six points as a new driver?
- What is the drink-drive limit in England and Wales?
- What is the penalty for drink or drug driving?
- What is the penalty for using a mobile phone while driving?
- What happens if I drive without insurance?
- What is the difference between careless and dangerous driving?
Victims and Witnesses (12)
- How do I report a crime?
- What is the Victims' Code?
- Can I challenge a decision not to charge or prosecute?
- What is a Victim Personal Statement?
- Do I have to go to court as a witness?
- What are special measures in court?
- What is the Witness Service?
- Can I claim expenses for going to court as a witness?
- Can I get compensation as a victim of a violent crime?
- Will I be told when the offender is released from prison?
- Will my name be published if I report a sexual offence?
- What is a restraining order?
When Someone You Know Is Arrested (12)
- How do I find out which police station someone is being held at?
- Do the police have to tell me if my partner or relative has been arrested?
- Can I get a solicitor for someone who has been arrested, and is it free?
- Can I visit or speak to someone in a police cell?
- Can I take medication, clothes or food to the police station?
- How long can police keep someone before charging or releasing them?
- What happens if they are charged and kept in custody for court?
- What does it mean to stand surety for someone's bail?
- What does being remanded in custody mean, and how do I visit?
- What happens if the person arrested is under 18?
- Should I tell their employer, and what should I avoid doing?
- Where can families get support when someone is arrested or remanded?
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