Police station representation
If you are at a police station now, ask the custody officer for the duty solicitor. It is free to everyone whatever you earn, it is available at any hour, and it is faster than anything else you can arrange. Do not wait for something better.
It is free, and it is not means tested
Legal advice at a police station is free to everybody. There is no form, no assessment of your income and no later bill. Asking for it does not make you look guilty and the officers deal with it a dozen times a day.
You can ask for the duty solicitor, who is on a rota and is there now, or name your own, who must be contacted but may take hours to arrive. The practical difference is how long you sit in a cell.
Why this is not a job for a KC
Imran Shafi KC is a barrister, not a solicitor, and he does not attend police stations. That work is done by solicitors and accredited police station representatives, it is funded differently, and it needs somebody who can be there within the hour.
Anyone telling you to wait for a silk before being interviewed is giving you bad advice. Take the free representation that is available now.
Where Imran does come in
After the interview, when the case is either sitting with the police under investigation or heading to the Crown Court. That is the point where counsel changes the outcome, and it is the stage most people wait too long to reach.
- Written representations before a charging decision is made, which can stop a case entirely
- Advice on where you stand once you know what the evidence is
- Representation at the Crown Court, through a solicitor or directly
Regulated by the Bar Standards Board. Authorised to accept Public Access instructions. Not authorised to conduct litigation.