British Equivalent of Miranda Rights

HeyHomie · May 21, 2006, 12:33am

I watched a movie today that had a scene in which the London police arrest someone. Amid all the commotion, I could swear I heard the cop saying something about “rights” and “silence.”

Is this standard operating procedure among police in the UK: to read a suspect a list of rights, including the right to remain silent?

cerberus · May 21, 2006, 2:24am

UK Rights a la Miranda

Similar rights elsewhere

The actual Miranda Warning:

The following is a minimal Miranda warning, as outlined in the Miranda v Arizona case.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.

The following is a much more verbose Miranda warning, designed to cover all bases that a detainee might encounter while in police custody. A detainee may be asked to sign a statement acknowledging the following.

*You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand?
Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?
You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand?
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand?
If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand?
Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?
*

feppytweed · May 21, 2006, 5:54am

May I ask, was the movie The Da Vinci Code? Just asking, because there is a scene in there identical to the one you describe…

Iguana_Boy · May 21, 2006, 8:03am

Just to nitpick - these are NOT UK rights, they are England and Wales rights.

Scotland has its own separate and distinct legal system, although there are a few crossover laws. Likewise Northern Ireland has its own system, although it is more akin to the English system.

In Scotland the police caution that you don’t have to say anything, but anything you say may be used in evidence. There is no caveat about a failure to say something harming your defence later on.

HeyHomie · May 21, 2006, 12:41pm

Why yes, by golly, it was.

I just didn’t mention it by name since I didn’t want to give any unnecessary publicity to that silly movie.

Canadjun · May 21, 2006, 1:03pm

What happens if you stubbornly answer “No” to all those “Do you understand?” questions?