Legaleagle Training
Advising clients at the Police Station –TRICKY ISSUES – WEDNESDAY 27th MARCH 2024 – COMMENCING AT 4PM
We all know that taking care of clients at the police station most of the time does not throw up a problem.
However, we also know that things can go very wrong, very quickly!
This ZOOM presentation will deal specifically with those TRICKY ISSUES that you may or may not have encountered yet – you will not be the 1st police station adviser to have driven away from a police station wondering if you have breached any sort of professional standard in the way that you dealt with a particular client/situation.
THERE WILL BE NO NOTES – SOME OF THESE ANSWERS MAY BE TUCKED AWAY IN THE CODES OF PRACTICE BUT, IN THE MAIN, THEY ARE JUDGEMENT CALLS AND RELY ON EXPERIENCE.
Have a look at the issues below in RED and see how you would deal with them – if you’re not sure, then this is a presentation that you should book on or a recording that you should purchase.
Colin Stephen McKeown-Beaumont is the author of the book ‘A practical guide to advising clients at the police station’ .
Anyone wishing to purchase the recording afterwards without ever attending) should simply click here: mailto: colin@thelegaleagle.org or ring me (or send me a text) – (07887) 842985 and book a place.
TRICKY ISSUES
1 – Your 1st client is more than happy to give you written authority to tell your 2nd client everything that the 1st client has told you – What is your professional position?
2 – Your 1st client asks you to represent his mate who has also been arrested in the same incident and has not asked for a lawyer – What is your professional position?
3 – Your client agreed that he would have a ‘no comment’ interview because he made admissions to you in consultation and it was decided that he has nothing worth saying to the police – in interview he changes the script and starts denying the allegation – What is your professional position?
4 – Your client physically attacks the officer in the interview and you witness this – the police want you to make a statement about the incident – What is your professional position?
5 – The police inform you that you cannot possibly represent all 5 detainees as there must be a conflict in the case – What is your professional position?
6 – Just before you go from the foyer of the police station into the custody area of the police station the client asks if you will look after something for him as he believes he will be the subject of a search as part of the booking in process – What is your professional position?
7 – Your client, for reasons best known to himself, informs you in the private consultation that he walked out of an open prison and is therefore unlawfully at large – he has been arrested in relation to a domestic incident – What is your professional position?
8 – In consultation the client shows you a mobile phone that should have been taken from him at the booking in stage – he has been arrested for conspiracy and, for obvious reasons, he does not want the police to be aware of his mobile phone – What is your professional position?
9 – The client, somewhat unusually, wants you to have a word with the interviewing officers prior to the interview in order to do ‘a deal with them’ – he is willing to be interviewed and to make admissions in relation to X, Y and Z – he is adamant that he does not wish to be interviewed in relation to A, B or C – he wants you to tell the police all about this before the interview takes place – What is your professional position?
10 – The client gives you a telephone number and wants you to ring it to let that person know that he has been arrested and is being detained in custody – all of the interviews in the matter have concluded – What is your professional position?
11 – You spoke with 2 clients over the phone before attending the police station – it is quite apparent from your instructions from client No. 1 that he is blaming client No. 2 – what further involvement are you going to have with client No. 2 – What is your professional position?
12 – Your client is absolutely adamant that he wants the Appropriate Adult with him whilst you are taking your instructions – you do not think that this is a good idea as, of course, the Appropriate Adult owes your client no duty of legal professional privilege – What is your professional position?
13 – Your client is absolutely adamant that he does not want the assistance of an Appropriate Adult although it is clear from your consultation with the client that there are mental health issues involved and that he really ought to have an Appropriate Adult at the police station stage – What is your professional position?
14 – The lawyer at the police station representing a co-suspect arrested in the same matter is not from your firm – he wants to have a chat with you before both clients are taken into interview – What is your professional position?
15 – You know that your client is on bail from court with certain bail conditions, one of which is to reside at a particular address – the police are proposing to bail him today and want your input as to the terms of any bail conditions – the client wants you to put forward a bail condition concerning residence at a place that you know is not his residence as part of his court bail conditions – What is your professional position?
16 – At the conclusion of the interview the attention of the interviewing officer is distracted and your client uses the opportunity to take one of the small exhibit bags off the table and to put it into his pocket – you witness this – What is your professional position?
17 – Your client informs you that he never committed the crime but he knows who did and he does not want that person to be arrested because, in his words, ‘he’s in enough trouble as it is!’ – your client has never been in trouble with the police and the police are willing to give him a caution if he makes full admissions in the interview – What is your professional position?
18 – Your client, who obviously knows his way around the police station, wants you to set out for him in some detail all of the legal defences available to the allegation before he gives you ANY instructions in the matter – What is your professional position?
19 – In consultation prior to the interview, you notice that the client has blood on his hand and the officer believes this blood may come from the victim who was glassed – the officer is aware of the blood and informs both the client and you that he intends to take swabs and goes away to get the relevant kit – meanwhile, the client simply licks the blood from his hand – What is your professional position?
20 – Somewhat bizarrely, your client gives you instructions and then tells you that he is not going to say those things to the police, he then proceeds to tell you the things he is going to say to the police – What is your professional position?
21 – You are somewhat concerned because your client has shown you a razor blade which she had concealed about her person – she is adamant that she does not wish to hand this over to the police – What is your professional position?
22 – Your client reveals that he is HIV positive – he has not informed the police of this and specifically instructs you that you are not to let the police become aware of his condition – What is your professional position?
23 – Your client reveals that he suffers from a highly communicable disease – he has not informed the police of this and specifically instructs you that you are not to let the police become aware of his condition – What is your professional position?
24 – Your client has been arrested for child abduction – your instructions from your client reveal the whereabouts of the 2 children he has abducted – the client tells you that both children are still alive – What is your professional position?
25 – Your client has been arrested for murder – your instructions from your client reveal the whereabouts of the body – What is your professional position?
IMPORTANT
PLEASE LET US KNOW THE EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON TO WHOM WE SHOULD SEND THE INVOICE IF IT IS TO SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF