In a nutshell, a voluntary interview in a police station is a process by which a person is asked

to come in to answer questions about a criminal investigation. Unlike an arrest, a voluntary

interview is not compulsory, and the person being interviewed has the right to leave at any

time.

During a voluntary interview, the person being interviewed will be asked a series of questions

about the crime under investigation. The interview will be conducted by one or more police

officers, who will take notes and may record what is said. The person being interviewed has

the right to have a solicitor present throughout, and the police must inform them of this right.

If the suspect chooses not to parcipitate and the police believe they have committed a crime,

they may choose to arrest them at any time. This means that anything said during the

voluntary interview could be used as evidence against them in court.

If you are asked to participate in a voluntary interview, it is important to seek legal advice

and to consider your options carefully before making a decision, to ensure you understand the

difference between that and being arrested, and what you need to do to protect yourself.

Although it is a ‘voluntary’ interview, you should not simply refuse to attend. You are well

within your rights to decline, but this could result in the police deciding to arrest instead,

enabling them to carry out a standard police interview. If you attend for a voluntary

interview, Lawise will contact the police to ensure we have as much disclosure as possible in

relation to the allegations and will then advise you on whether to answer police questions.

It’s important to realise just how serious a voluntary police interview can be. If you are asked

to attend a voluntary police interview, it usually means that the police suspect you of some

involvement in a crime. De