Charting the journey from police station to charge

In the criminal justice system, an accused’s journey is bookended by two key events: the time at the police station and the criminal trial. Both of these events can be highly significant as to how the case eventually concludes. This book provides an invaluable source of practical advice and insightful analysis about the first stage of the process.

In charting the journey of the suspect from the time of their arrival at the police station through to the decision to charge, it clearly sets out practical advice and checklists about how to cope with all the different situations and legal problems that may arise.

The book covers in detail each of the events that might take place at the police station, events which centre around the interview – ‘the most crucial event during the course of a person’s detention in a police station’. The authors usefully set out the strategies and tactics employed by the police in the interview and cleverly explain how to protect a client’s rights in the face of such tactics being employed.

The representative at the police station is not a mere observer. Instead, an accomplished defence lawyer must actively pursue the interests of the suspect. In a world where the onus of identifying ‘lines of enquiry’ and strategies for disclosure is increasingly put on the defence’s shoulders, the authors deal with how such decisions need to be thought about from the very earliest stage.

The book is a weighty tome and deals authoritatively with daily and more arcane legal issues that may arise at the police station. However, it is written in a practical, helpful and unpretentious manner. It aims to help the representative rather than trying to impress the reader with the authors’ erudition.

Although aimed at those working in the police station, the book is also a useful read for advocates who deal with the fallout from decisions that have been made in the police station, which often affect the offences an accused is charged with and the way the trial is conducted.

A must-have for those who represent suspects in the police station, this well-researched work really brings home the significance of an informed and thoughtful approach to representation.

Hugh French is a criminal barrister at Red Lion Chambers, London