Being Arrested in the UK: Your Rights in Police Custody
Your rights if arrested in the UK: free legal advice, having someone informed, and the detention time limits in England and Wales, Scotland, and NI.
7 min read
Loading...
UK Criminal Law
12 articles
Citizen's Arrest in the UK: Powers, Limits and Real Risk
Citizen's arrest under PACE 1984, s.24A in England and Wales, Article 26A in Northern Ireland, and Scotland's common law rule, plus the risk of getting it wrong.
8 min read
Criminal Legal Aid Eligibility: The Merits and Means Tests Explained
How the interests-of-justice (Widgery) test and the means test decide criminal legal aid eligibility in England and Wales, plus the separate Scotland and Northern Ireland systems.
8 min read
Fixed Penalty Notices and PNDs Explained: Not a Conviction, Not a Caution
How Penalty Notices for Disorder work under the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001, how they differ from a caution, and whether they show on a DBS check.
8 min read
Jury Service in England and Wales: Eligibility, Pay and Verdicts
Who qualifies for jury service in England and Wales, what disqualifies you, how much you're paid, and how a 12-person jury reaches a majority verdict under the Juries Act 1974.
8 min read
Jury Service in Scotland: 15 Jurors and the End of Not Proven
How Scottish criminal juries work: 15 jurors, the procurator fiscal, and the move from three verdicts to two for trials starting on or after 1 January 2026.
7 min read
Police Cautions in the UK: Simple and Conditional Cautions Explained
How simple and conditional police cautions work, when you can refuse one, and how a caution affects a DBS check, including the filtering rules.
7 min read
Self-Defence Law in the UK: Reasonable Force Explained
UK self-defence law: the reasonable force test under s.76, the householder defence for a trespasser at home, and Scotland's separate common law rule.
9 min read
Stop and Search Laws in the UK: PACE, GOWISELY and Section 60 Explained
How UK stop and search law works: PACE 1984 reasonable grounds, the GOWISELY checklist, suspicion-less section 60 searches, and how Scotland's rules differ.
9 min read
The Right to Remain Silent in the UK: The Caution and Adverse Inferences
The exact police caution wording, and when staying silent can let a court draw an adverse inference under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.
7 min read
UK Criminal Law and Your Rights: England, Scotland & NI
How criminal law works across the UK's three legal systems: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, with guides to arrest, cautions, and more.
7 min read
UK Knife Laws: Carrying, Good Reason and the Banned Blades
UK knife law: the s.139 carrying offence, the 3-inch folding knife exemption, the 2024 zombie-knife and 2025 ninja-sword bans, and what is not yet in force.
9 min read