Free police station legal advice and attendance, 24 hours a day.

Yes. Free, independent legal advice at the police station is a statutory right under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). It is free regardless of your income, and asking for a solicitor cannot be used against you. There is no reason to be interviewed without representation, however minor the matter seems.

Yes. You have the right to the solicitor of your choice, and you can ask for ASA Solicitors by name at any police station, free of charge, 24 hours a day. If you do not have a solicitor, the duty solicitor scheme ensures free advice is available at every police station around the clock.

We provide 24-hour cover. When you ask for ASA Solicitors, the police must contact our on-call duty solicitor. We attend as soon as practicable, often before any interview takes place. Keep our number — 07752 20 30 40 — saved in your phone.

That depends entirely on the evidence, the allegation, and your instructions. Remaining silent can sometimes harm your case at trial if you later rely on something you did not mention when questioned. We assess the disclosure, advise you in private, and agree a strategy — whether answering, giving a prepared statement, or remaining silent.

A ‘no comment’ interview is one in which you decline to answer questions. In some cases silence can harm your position at trial if you later rely on a fact you did not mention when questioned, under section 34 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. We advise in private before the interview on whether answering, giving a prepared statement, or remaining silent is the right strategy for your case.

Detention is governed by PACE and reviewed by a custody officer. Without charge, detention is generally limited to 24 hours, extended to 36 hours with the authority of a superintendent, and up to 96 hours for indictable offences with magistrates’ approval. We monitor the custody record and challenge unlawful or unnecessary continued detention at review hearings.

If you are released without charge the police may continue investigating. We stay involved — monitoring progress, making representations to the CPS, and advising you at every stage. Release under investigation can leave you in limbo for months; we chase the investigating officer, review the evidence, and make written representations where the case against you is weak.