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Solicitor Contact Line (SCL)

The Solicitor Contact Line is a 24-hour service run by the Scottish Legal Aid Board that gives free legal advice to people in police custody.

The Solicitor Contact Line (SCL) is run by the Scottish Legal Aid Board and staffed by publicly funded criminal defence lawyers. It provides advice and representation, 24 hours a day, to people held in police stations across Scotland, by phone or in person. Anyone in police custody has the right to have a solicitor told and to consult a solicitor privately, and this advice is free, whatever your income. If you are in custody, tell the police you want a solicitor. You can ask for your own solicitor or, if you do not have one, get advice through the SCL. Since 30 March 2026, no one under 18 can agree to be interviewed as a suspect without a solicitor present.

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

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Solicitors and Legal Aid in ScotlandWhen Someone You Know Is Arrested

Nearby terms

Sheriff Appeal CourtThe Sheriff Appeal Court hears criminal appeals from summary cases in the sheriff courts and justice of the peace courts.Sheriff courtThe sheriff court deals with most criminal cases in Scotland, either before a sheriff alone or, in serious cases, a sheriff and jury.Solemn procedureSolemn procedure is used for serious criminal cases in Scotland, which are tried before a judge and a jury of 15.Summary procedureSummary procedure is the way less serious criminal cases are dealt with in Scotland, before a judge sitting alone without a jury.Trial dietThe trial diet is the date fixed for a criminal trial, when witnesses give evidence and a verdict is reached.UndertakingAn undertaking is a signed promise to the police to appear at a named court on a set date and to keep to any conditions attached.
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