Service Police Interview Solicitors

Service Police Interview Solicitors.....

At Reeds, our specialist team of service police interview solicitors attend RAF, Navy, and Army bases regularly to provide legal advice to service personnel. Whether that be under arrest or invited into the Police Station for an interview under caution, we can help.

Our lawyers are available to travel anywhere to provide representation at a service police interview. We have successfully defended members of the Armed Forces following allegations of offences committed in Afghanistan, Germany, Estonia, Cyprus and the UK. Our team have a wealth of experience defending members of the Armed Forces in military police interviews and Court Martial Proceedings.

Obtaining legal advice at an early stage can be crucial. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your case, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.

Reeds’ Service Police Interviews Solicitors

Investigations undertaken by Military Police Officers can take time before a conclusion is reached and military personnel may find that they are interviewed more than once.

There can be numerous interviews under caution by Military Police Officers. Our expert lawyers can provide representation for each of these interviews, ensuring you receive a seamless service.

Obtaining legal advice at an early stage can be crucial. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your case, please contact us through our contact page here. Alternatively you can phone 0333 240 7373, or email us at info@reeds.co.uk.

Meet the team

How We Can Help

We are one of a select few law firms that have specialist knowledge and skills concerning military law. We also provide legal advice and representation to police officers facing criminal and misconduct proceedings. We know the law concerning these types of matters inside out and you can be confident that we will manage your case strategically and build a vigorous defence.

Military and police discipline investigations and criminal prosecutions can have a devastating effect on your family and other personal relationships. You may also feel sidelined and isolated at work. We will fight tenaciously to defend you; you can trust that we will listen to your side of the story with compassion and sensitivity.

We have senior practitioners with a wealth of experience in successfully defending members of the Armed Forces charged with a variety of serious offences in Court Martial proceedings.

Our Police and Military Lawyers handle a wide range of legal matters, including but not limited to breach of professional standards, police criminal and misconduct proceedings (including the use of a firearm and instances where a person has been killed by an officer), misconduct in military operations, drug possession and supply, sexual offences, and more. No matter how complex your case, we have the expertise to provide robust legal advice and representation.

Our understanding of the culture and lifestyle associated with police and military life ensures that our legal advice is tailored to you. It also helps us create persuasive legal arguments and strategically plan and prepare for investigations and court proceedings.

Get in touch

Information is processed inline with UK GDPR and our Privacy Policy

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FAQ

If a member of the Armed Forces is arrested by the police, they will conduct an interview under caution. The purpose of this interview is similar to a civilian police interview.

You are entitled to free and independent legal representation at a military police interview as you would be as a civilian.

We attend Military bases for interviews under caution in respect to a wide range of offences. These can range from serious assaults, drink driving, sexual assaults, as well as a spectrum of service offences.

If you are being asked to come in for an interview, it is important to remember your rights. You have the right to remain silent and the right to legal representation.

Whether or not you have any involvement in the allegation, it is vital that you contact a lawyer immediately before speaking to the service police. Our lawyers will attend the police station with you and provide you with confidential legal advice.

The circumstances of a police interview differ significantly. You might be a witness, or potential witness, to a crime or death and they want to understand the incident. Or they may view you as a suspect of an allegation.

The police may not always be clear about why they want to speak to you.

Saying the wrong thing during a police interview can have serious consequences that may affect your future career in the Armed Forces. It is vital that you contact a Service Police Interview Solicitor to represent you during this process.

There are two main forms of service police interviews: voluntary of under arrest. A voluntary police interview means that you can decide the time and place suitable for you. You are also free to leave at any time.

Our lawyers are able to organise these interviews on your behalf and advise you on what to say, if anything.

If you have been arrested, you may not have the freedom to leave until the police give you permission. You still have the right to have legal representation at any location you may be at. It is in your best interest to speak with a lawyer before speaking to the police in an interview.

Depending on the circumstances, Military Police have several options after the interview. You may be:

    • Released under investigation: the police may not be ready to close the case. At this point, you are not being investigated but there may be further interviews. The police are still investigating, and you may be formally arrested if they see reason to do so.

    • Referred for charge and released: this means that the police believe that there is enough evidence to charge you with a crime. In these cases, either your Commanding Officer or the Director Service Prosecutions will make the decision on whether to charge you.

    • Held in custody without charge: at this point, you will not have been officially charged with a crime. The police can hold you in custody for 96 hours at most without a charge.

    • Held in custody after charge: the police will have charged you and are holding you in custody. You will likely remain in custody until you can see a Judge Advocate. This process typically takes between 24-48 hours

    • Released no further action: the police have closed the case and you are not being prosecuted.

The main goal of the police in an investigation is to find out how it happened, who it involved and who the perpetrator was.

The exact questions they may ask vary depending on the situation and your personal involvement. The police may question as to your whereabouts at the time and whether you know any information about what happened.

Yes. You can refuse to attend a police interview. However, if the police believe this interview is necessary they can arrest you.

If you are arrested you will be held in custody, you can refuse to be interviewed but this will force the Service Police to make a decision about your case without hearing from you and could result in an inference being drawn at court.