Prepared statement

A written account from a suspect, usually drafted with a solicitor and read out in interview, often followed by no comment answers.

A prepared statement is a written account given to police by a suspect, usually drafted with their solicitor and read out at the start of an interview under caution, or handed over before charge. It typically sets out the main facts of the suspect's defence, such as self-defence or an alibi, and the suspect may then answer "no comment" to further questions. Its purpose is to put the account on record at an early stage. If it covers the facts later relied on at trial, it can help protect against an adverse inference under section 34 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. If the defence at trial relies on facts not mentioned in the statement, an inference may still be drawn about those facts. The statement can also be compared with later evidence to test consistency. Whether to give one is a matter for legal advice.

Checked as at 25 September 2026. General information only, not legal advice.