You've been arrested and charged, what happens next?

In Court: If you are not released you will be brought to court on the morning after your arrest unless it is a Sunday or a public holiday. Before you get to court, if you haven't seen a solicitor already, ask to see the duty solicitor. This person will help you on legal points and speak for you in court if you wish, free of charge. After your first appearance in court, you can ask for another solicitor if you wish to do so. If you are 17 or under, your case is likely to be heard at a youth court.

If the duty solicitor is speaking for you, tell them you would like the court to be asked to release you on bail. Say you are willing to give a promise (bail undertaking) to appear in court at a later date if your case isn't finished that day.

If you plead guilty, and are under 18, the court may ask for a Pre-Sentence Report before deciding what to do. If it does, a worker from the Youth Offending Team will call on you to make the re port. If it's your first time in court, it is possible that you will receive a Referral Order, but this depends on the type of offence you have committed. The Referral Order basically commits you to putting together a contract, with the help of a Youth Offending Team worker, that will enable you to see the consequences of what you have done and work towards not re-offending in the future (the local Youth Offending Team is there to help young people who have committed criminal offences).

If you plead not guilty, a trial will be fixed for a later date. You would be well advised to apply for legal aid. The duty solicitor will help you.

If you know that you did not commit the offence that you are accused of, try and get the names and address of any people (witnesses) who may be able to show that you did not do the thing you are accused of, e.g. if you were with them somewhere else, or if they saw someone else commit the offence. Give the name and addresses to your solicitor in good time before the trial.

If an investigation is underway it is not in a suspects interest to interfere with the witnesses to the case in anyway. If there are people with material evidence that will assist in the investigation, their details should be given to the police at the earliest possible opportunity. The police are duty bound to investigate thoroughly and either prove or disprove a suspects version of events.

If you are granted legal aid make sure you go to your solicitor's office when you are asked. They can only help if you keep appointments and help them by answering questions. If you don't do this you may lose legal aid.

Solicitors are not just people to bring in when you have been charged with an offence. They can provide lots of useful advice, e.g. if you have been unfairly treated at work, hurt in an accident, or if you are having trouble with a landlord, or being sued for a debt. Look for the Community Legal Service (CLS) quality mark at local law firms and advice centres. You can phone 0845 608 1122 or visit the website at www.justask.org.uk to find a solicitor or advice centre in your area. You can also search for legal information and advice on the website.

If you're not happy...

If you feel you have not been fairly treated by the police, you may write a letter of complaint to the Chief Constable of the police force concerned. Keep a copy of the letter. Alternatively, if you are at a police station you may ask to see the Duty Inspector - he or she should help you, or tell you how to make your complaint formal.