Police Station Interviews & Attendances

Going to a police station as a suspect in a crime? Police called you and asked you to drop in? This is very important. You are entitled to have a lawyer with you for an interview. The police will ask you for your lawyer’s name. if you don’t know one they will give you a duty lawyer. Ask for Ron Mackenna – even if you haven’t met him yet – and he or someone from Ron Mackenna Defence will go to the Police Station to be with you.

If you ask for Ron Mackenna at the police station then the law says the police must contact him. Changes to the Legal Aid rules also mean that from March 2016 you will probably not have to pay for that legal help. If you are being interviewed then we will give you professional advice and, if necessary be with you in the interview. A suspect can be detained at a police station for 12 hours, and exceptionally for 24 hours while an allegation is investigated. But..at the end of an interview – which rarely involve 12 hours in detention – a suspect can be charged an held in custody for court. At the weekend that could be from Friday tim Monday. On weekdays it is usually the next morning.

The police do not routinely tell people before they attend for interview whether they will be detained. You will usually be told: that’s a matter for the Duty Sergeant. It’s hard to know whats going on in a Police Station. Another reason to have a lawyer instructed.