header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
13 February 2020 / Michael Zander KC
Issue: 7874 / Categories: Features , Criminal
printer mail-detail

Digital legal rights

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
15748
Can digital systems benefit suspects in the police station? Michael Zander considers some of the legal issues

Digital systems could help in the provision of legal advice for suspects in police stations according to Dr Vicky Kemp of the University of Nottingham, writing in February’s issue of Criminal Law Review. Dr Kemp has been involved in police station research for over two decades (see ‘Digital legal rights: exploring detainees’ understanding of the right to a lawyer and potential barriers to accessing legal advice’ [2020] Crim. L.R. 129-147).

Many of the issues and problems regarding access to legal advice are well known:

  • suspects with a poor understanding of why legal advice might be beneficial;
  • the police failing to comply with the PACE rules enabling legal advice;
  • difficulties for solicitors to get through to clients on the phone;
  • solicitors reluctant to come to the police station until the interview; and
  • the telephone used by suspects to speak to solicitors physically sited so that the conversation can be overheard
If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sidley—James Inness

Sidley—James Inness

Partner joins capital markets team in London office

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Haynes Boone—William Cecil

Firm announces appointment of partner as UK general counsel

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Devonshires—Nicholas Barrows

Firm appoints first chief marketing officer to drive growth strategy

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Appeal court reins in ‘wrong defendant’ switcheroo

The Court of Appeal has slammed the brakes on claimants trying to swap defendants after limitation has expired. In Adcamp LLP v Office Properties and BDB Pitmans v Lee [2026] EWCA Civ 50, it overturned High Court rulings that had allowed substitutions under s 35(6)(b) of the Limitation Act 1980, reports Sarah Crowther of DAC Beachcroft in this week's NLJ

NLJ this week: CPR tweak closes third-party disclosure gap
A seemingly dry procedural update may prove potent. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ this week, Stephen Gold explains that new CPR 31.12A—part of the 193rd update—fills a ‘lacuna’ exposed in McLaren Indy v Alpa Racing
NLJ this week: Court of Appeals wrestles with Mazur fallout
The long-running Mazur saga edged towards its finale as the Court of Appeal heard arguments on whether non-solicitors can ‘conduct litigation’. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School reports from a packed courtroom where 16 wigs watched Nick Bacon KC argue that Mr Justice Sheldon had failed to distinguish between ‘tasks and responsibilities’
NLJ this week: Driving test fraudsters steer towards jail
Cheating in driving tests is surging—and courts are responding firmly. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Parpworth of De Montfort Law School charts a rise in impersonation and tech-assisted fraud, with 2,844 attempts recorded in a year
NLJ this week: Deepfakes demand data law muscle
As AI-generated ‘deepfake’ images proliferate, the law may already have the tools to respond. In NLJ this week, Jon Belcher of Excello Law argues that such images amount to personal data processing under UK GDPR
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll