CIRCULAR: custody staff should carry out risk assessments


Police custody staff should carry out risk assessments to ensure the safety of solicitors visiting detainees in police custody suites, according to rules issued by the Home Office last week.



The Home Office circular followed concerns raised by the Law Society and Criminal Law Solicitors Association (CLSA) that duty solicitors were being put at risk, particularly when they were carrying out private consultations with their clients in the custody suite.



The circular said the police are responsible for carrying out an assessment of the risks to those, such as solicitors, who come into the custody suite and that it needed to be ongoing throughout the period of custody.



The circular advised that solicitors have a duty to review their own safety and that they should not expose themselves to unnecessary risk for the sake of expediency.



Law Society President Andrew Holroyd said: 'This is a vital measure to ensure that solicitors are no longer seen as the "poor relation" at police stations, but instead are offered the same safety protections extended to medical personnel and police officers themselves.'



CLSA chairwoman Joy Merriam added: 'There's a general feeling that we're considered at the bottom of the pile. There are signs up at court about treatment of court staff, but our needs and requirements are not considered. This circular is significant because it gives our members something practical, and also it's recognition that the work we do can be dangerous and we need protection.'



Ms Merriam advised solicitors to carry a copy of the circular with them when they attend the police station 'to stop the "take it or leave it" attitude often adopted by the police.'



Catherine Baksi