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PACE Code C: Detention, Treatment and Questioning Explained

PACE Code C is the Home Office code of practice that governs how police detain, treat and question suspects in custody in England and Wales. It sets out the rights a detainee must be told about, when an appropriate adult is needed, rest and welfare rules, interviews and reviews. Custody officers, investigators, detainees and exam candidates all rely on it.

Updated 2026-10-30 · 13 min read · Checked against official sources

PACE Code C is the rulebook for everything that happens to a suspect from the moment they arrive at the custody desk until they are charged, released or handed to court. For the sergeants' exam it sits at the heart of evidence and procedure: our mock blueprint gives detention and custody more weight than any other single topic. This guide sets out what the code says, with paragraph numbers from the current December 2023 edition, the statutory time limits in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) behind it, and the traps examiners use.

A plain summary of rights in custody for members of the public is near the end.

This guide is a revision aid, not legal advice; the exam follows the 2027 Blackstone's manuals. Checked against legislation.gov.uk on 30 October 2026, and against the PACE Codes of Practice published on gov.uk.

PACE Code C in full: what the code covers

PACE allows the Home Secretary to issue codes of practice. The current set is listed on the gov.uk PACE codes of practice page. Code C 2023 applies to people in police detention after 00:00 on 20 December 2023.

Code Subject Current version
A Stop and search, and recording public encounters 2023
B Searching premises and seizing property 2023
C Detention, treatment and questioning (non-terrorism) 2023
D Identification 2023
E Audio recording of interviews 2018
F Visual recording with sound 2018
G Arrest under s.24 PACE 2012
H Detention of terrorism suspects 2023
I Detention under the National Security Act 2023 2023

Code C opens with a principle you should be able to quote. Paragraph 1.1 says: "All persons in custody must be dealt with expeditiously, and released as soon as the need for detention no longer applies." Paragraph 1.1A adds that the custody officer must perform their functions "as soon as practicable", and is not in breach if a delay is justifiable and reasonable steps are taken to prevent it.

The code includes its Annexes but not its Notes for Guidance (paragraph 1.3), and it must be readily available at every police station for officers, staff, detainees and the public (paragraph 1.2).

Plain-English breakdown

Section 1 defines juveniles, vulnerable people and appropriate adults; section 3 is booking-in; sections 5 and 6 give the rights to have someone informed and to legal advice; sections 8 and 9 cover conditions and health care; sections 10 to 12 cover cautions, interviews and rest (see our police caution guide); sections 15 and 16 cover reviews and charging. Annex B controls delays to rights, Annex C restricts inferences from silence and Annex E summarises the rules for vulnerable people.

Key fact: The Notes for Guidance are not part of Code C (paragraph 1.3). If an option says "Note 1F requires", read it carefully: the note guides, the paragraph rules.

Rights in custody: the points to prove for a lawful detention

There is no offence to prove here. What the exam tests instead is whether each step of a detention was lawful and recorded. Treat these as the points to prove for a Code C-compliant detention.

Requirement What it means What the officer records or gathers
Custody record opened (2.1) A separate record for each person brought to a station under arrest, opened as soon as practicable Custody record with times, grounds, reasons
Rights given (3.1) Legal advice, someone informed, consult the codes, interpretation and consular rights where relevant; plus the reason for arrest Detainee told clearly; signature or refusal noted
Written notice (3.2) Notice of rights and entitlements, including the caution, maximum detention period and medical help Notice handed over; detainee given chance to read and sign (3.2A)
Vulnerability checked (1.4) Any reason to suspect vulnerability means the person is treated as vulnerable unless clear evidence dispels it Enquiries made and recorded, shared with solicitor and appropriate adult
Appropriate adult (3.15) Juvenile or vulnerable detainee told why an appropriate adult is needed; the adult told of grounds and whereabouts and asked to attend Times of contact and arrival
Legal advice secured (6.5) Custody officer acts without delay once advice is requested Time of request, time of contact, reasons for any waiver
Rest period (12.2) At least 8 continuous hours' rest in any 24 hours, free from questioning, travel or interruption Rest times; reasons for any interruption
Reviews (15.1, s.40) Necessity of detention reviewed at the statutory intervals Review times, representations, decision

The three continuing rights

Paragraph 3.1(a) lists rights the detainee may exercise "at any stage" in custody:

  1. To consult privately with a solicitor, with free independent legal advice available (section 6; s.58 PACE).
  2. To have someone informed of their arrest (section 5; s.56 PACE).
  3. To consult the Codes of Practice.

Where applicable, the person also has a right to interpretation and translation and to contact their High Commission, Embassy or Consulate. Paragraph 3.1(b) adds the right to be told about the offence and why they were arrested and detained.

Under paragraph 5.1 the detainee may have one person known to them, or likely to take an interest in their welfare, told of their whereabouts at public expense. If that person cannot be reached they may choose up to two alternatives. The right can be exercised again each time they move to another police station (5.3).

Paragraph 6.1 requires that all detainees be told they may consult a solicitor privately "at any time", in person, in writing or by telephone. Paragraph 6.4 forbids any officer from doing or saying anything intended to dissuade a person from getting legal advice. If the detainee declines, the officer should mention telephone advice, ask why and record the reason, but stop asking once the answer is clear (6.5).

Exam tip: "At any time" is the phrase. A detainee who refused a solicitor at booking-in can change their mind before or during interview, and paragraph 11.2 requires a reminder of free legal advice immediately before every interview starts or restarts at the station.

Detention time limits and authority levels

Code C creates no offence and no penalty; breaches have evidential and disciplinary consequences. What you must know instead are the statutory limits in Part IV of PACE and who authorises what.

Stage Time limit Who decides Source
Basic detention without charge 24 hours from the relevant time Custody officer s.41 PACE
First review Not later than 6 hours after detention first authorised Inspector not directly involved (pre-charge) s.40(3)(a)
Second review Not later than 9 hours after the first Inspector s.40(3)(b)
Later reviews Intervals of not more than 9 hours Inspector s.40(3)(c)
Extension to 36 hours Indictable offence; detention necessary for evidence; investigation diligent and expeditious Superintendent or above responsible for the station s.42(1)
Warrant of further detention Up to 36 hours at a time Magistrates' court s.43
Extension of warrant Total cannot end later than 96 hours after the relevant time Magistrates' court s.44
Delay in having someone informed Indictable offence, not yet charged; never beyond 36 hours Inspector or above s.56; Annex B
Delay in legal advice Indictable offence, not yet charged; never beyond 36 hours Superintendent or above s.58; Annex B

The "relevant time" under s.41(2) is usually the time of arrival at the relevant police station, or 24 hours after arrest if earlier. For a voluntary attender who is then arrested at the station, it is the time of arrest.

A superintendent's s.42 authority can be given any time after the second review (15.2), after hearing representations from the detainee and their solicitor (15.3).

Key fact: Annex B splits the ranks. An inspector can delay the right to have someone informed. Only a superintendent can delay access to legal advice. Both delays need an indictable offence, no charge yet, and reasonable grounds, and neither can last beyond 36 hours from the relevant time.

Key definitions and leading cases

Juvenile, vulnerable and appropriate adult

  • Juvenile. Anyone who appears to be under 18 is treated as a juvenile unless there is clear evidence they are older (paragraph 1.5).
  • Vulnerable. Paragraph 1.13(d) covers a person who, because of a mental health condition or mental disorder, may have difficulty understanding or communicating about the implications of procedures, does not appear to understand the significance of what they are told or asked, or appears particularly prone to confusion, to giving unreliable or incriminating information unintentionally, or to accepting suggestions without question.
  • Appropriate adult. For a juvenile: a parent or guardian (or a representative of the local authority or voluntary organisation caring for them), a local authority social worker, or failing these another responsible adult aged 18 or over who is not police, police staff or a police contractor (1.7(a)). For a vulnerable person: a relative, guardian or carer, someone experienced in dealing with vulnerable people who is independent of the police, or failing these another independent responsible adult (1.7(b)).

Paragraph 1.7A describes the role: to safeguard rights, entitlements and welfare, to support and assist, and to tell an inspector or above if police are not acting properly and fairly. Note 1B rules out a person who is suspected of involvement, is the victim or is a witness. Note 1F rules out a solicitor or independent custody visitor present at the station in that capacity. Our planned appropriate adult guide will cover this in more depth.

Interview

Paragraph 11.1A defines an interview as the questioning of a person about their involvement or suspected involvement in a criminal offence which, under paragraph 10.1, must be carried out under caution. Procedures under s.7 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (evidential specimens) are not interviews.

Once a decision to arrest has been made, the suspect must not be interviewed about the offence except at a police station or other authorised place of detention, unless delay would be likely to lead to harm to evidence or people, serious loss or damage to property, alerting other suspects, or hindering recovery of property (11.1). Questioning must stop once the risk is averted.

Leading cases

  • R v Samuel [1988]: the Court of Appeal quashed a robbery conviction after the suspect was wrongly refused access to a solicitor. The refusal was not justified by the statutory grounds, and the confession that followed should have been excluded. It shows why s.58 delays must be specific and properly reasoned.
  • R v Fulling [1987]: "oppression" in s.76(2)(a) PACE takes its ordinary meaning: the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, harsh or wrongful manner. Pressure alone is not oppression.
  • R v Aspinall [1999]: a suspect with a known mental disorder was interviewed without an appropriate adult. The Court of Appeal held the interview should have been excluded, stressing that the safeguard protects fairness, not just form.

Behind these cases sit s.76 (a confession obtained by oppression, or in circumstances likely to make it unreliable, is excluded unless the prosecution proves beyond reasonable doubt it was not) and s.78 (exclusion of evidence that would make proceedings unfair).

Police powers that apply around custody

Code C works alongside the powers that bring people into custody:

  • Arrest without warrant (s.24 PACE). Reasonable grounds to suspect an offence, plus reasonable grounds to believe arrest is necessary for a reason in s.24(5), such as name or address, preventing harm, protecting a child or vulnerable person, or the prompt and effective investigation of the offence. See the planned section 24 PACE guide.
  • Search on arrest (s.32 PACE). Search of a person arrested away from a station, with reasonable grounds, and for an indictable offence the premises where they were when or immediately before arrested. See section 32 PACE.
  • Search after arrest (s.18 PACE). Premises occupied or controlled by a person arrested for an indictable offence, for evidence of that or a connected or similar indictable offence, with an inspector's written authority unless s.18(5) applies. See section 18 PACE.
  • Before charge (s.37 PACE). The custody officer decides whether there is sufficient evidence to charge, and may detain only as long as necessary to decide.

Exam tip: The review officer for a person not yet charged must be at least an inspector "who has not been directly involved in the investigation" (s.40(1)(b)). An inspector who led the search team cannot review.

Worked exam scenarios

Scenario 1: the solicitor delay

HARRIS is arrested for robbery, an indictable offence, at 10:00 and arrives at the station at 10:30. The investigating officer fears that HARRIS's chosen solicitor will pass a message to an outstanding co-suspect. An inspector authorises a delay in access to legal advice.

Answer: The authority is invalid. Annex B paragraph 1 allows only a superintendent or above to delay legal advice; an inspector can delay only the right to have someone informed. Even then, Annex B paragraph 3 says that where the concern is about a particular solicitor, the detainee must be allowed to choose another. Any interview during a valid delay is also affected: Annex B paragraph 15 says no adverse inference can be drawn from silence in that period.

Scenario 2: the voluntary attender

JONES attends a station by appointment to be interviewed about a theft. Half way through, she says she wants to go home.

Answer: Under paragraph 3.21 a voluntary attender may leave at will unless arrested, and can only be prevented from leaving if arrest is necessary under Code G. If arrest is necessary, JONES must be told at once that she is under arrest and why, and taken before the custody officer, who opens a custody record and gives her rights. For the theft law itself, see our Theft Act 1968 guide.

Scenario 3: the 17-year-old with no adult present

PATEL, aged 17, is arrested for burglary. His mother cannot be contacted. Officers want to interview him straight away because they believe a stolen firearm is hidden somewhere and might be used.

Answer: A juvenile must not be interviewed without the appropriate adult unless paragraph 11.1 or 11.18 applies (11.15). Paragraph 11.18 allows an urgent interview only if a superintendent or above considers that delay will lead to the consequences in 11.1(a) to (c) and is satisfied the interview would not significantly harm PATEL's physical or mental state. Questioning must stop once the risk is averted (11.19) and the grounds must be recorded (11.20).

Common exam traps

  • Inspector or superintendent. Delay of someone informed: inspector. Delay of legal advice: superintendent. Extension to 36 hours: superintendent. Beyond 36 hours: magistrates' court.
  • 6 then 9. First review within 6 hours of detention first being authorised, not of arrest. Second review within 9 hours of the first.
  • 96 hours is the ceiling. No warrant extension can run beyond 96 hours after the relevant time (s.44).
  • "Appears to be under 18". Treat as a juvenile unless there is clear evidence otherwise (1.5).
  • Suspicion of vulnerability is enough. "Any reason to suspect" triggers paragraph 1.4.
  • Excluded appropriate adults. A parent who is the victim, a witness or a suspect cannot act (Note 1B). A solicitor at the station in that capacity cannot act (Note 1F).
  • Eight hours' rest. At least 8 continuous hours in any 24; for a voluntary attender later arrested, the 24 hours run from arrest (12.2).

Our sergeants' exam guide explains how evidence and procedure fits the 2027 syllabus.

Your rights in custody: a plain summary for the public

If you are arrested and taken to a police station in England and Wales, the custody officer must tell you about your rights and give you a written notice. You can ask for free legal advice from the duty solicitor at any time, day or night; gov.uk explains how this works on its arrested: your rights page. Asking for a solicitor costs nothing and cannot lawfully be discouraged.

If you are under 18 or may be vulnerable, an appropriate adult must be called; they support you but do not give legal advice. For guidance on your own situation, speak to a solicitor.

Test yourself

Code C questions reward exact numbers and ranks:

  1. Take the free detention and custody topic quiz and note every rank or time limit you miss.
  2. Move on to the interviews topic quiz, which covers cautions, special warnings and appropriate adults.
  3. Sit the free 20-question diagnostic to see how evidence and procedure compares with your other areas.
  4. When you are scoring well, sit the full-length mock 1 under timed conditions, or print the sergeants' question sheet for a commute.

See the worked examples on our police sergeant exam questions page, and the guides index for every other law guide.

10 free detention and treatment practice questions with answers

Try each one, then open the answer. For a timed experience use the free topic quiz.

  1. 1. During his detention PAGE is taken to hospital and is away from the police station for four hours. On the way to the hospital an officer questions him for 20 minutes to obtain evidence about the offence. How much of the four hours counts towards PAGE's period of detention?

    1. A. Only the 20 minutes during which he was questioned.
    2. B. The four hours less any time during which he was actually receiving treatment.
    3. C. The whole four hours.
    4. D. None of it, because time spent at hospital never counts.
    Show answer

    A. Only the 20 minutes during which he was questioned.

    Under s.41(6) PACE, when a detainee is removed to hospital for treatment, time during which he is questioned by a police officer in hospital or on the way there or back, to obtain evidence, is included in the detention period, but any other time is not. Code C Note 14A makes the same point.

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.41(6); PACE Code C (2023), Note 14A

  2. 2. ELLIS, aged 15, is arrested for assaulting his mother. His mother comes to the police station and offers to act as his appropriate adult. Which of the following is correct?

    1. A. She should not act as his appropriate adult, because she is the alleged victim.
    2. B. She must act, because a parent always has priority over any other person as appropriate adult.
    3. C. She may act provided she does not speak during the interview or advise him in any way.
    4. D. She may act provided ELLIS agrees in writing to her acting as his appropriate adult.
    Show answer

    A. She should not act as his appropriate adult, because she is the alleged victim.

    Code C para 1.7(a) lists a parent or guardian first for a juvenile, but Note 1B says a person, including a parent, should not be an appropriate adult if they are suspected of involvement in the offence, are the victim or a witness, are involved in the investigation, or received admissions before attending. Another appropriate adult should be found.

    Source: PACE Code C (2023), para 1.7(a), Note 1B

  3. 3. DALTON had his partner told of his arrest on arrival at the first police station. He is later transferred to another police station for interview. Which of the following is correct?

    1. A. The right was used up when he exercised it on arrival at the first police station.
    2. B. He may exercise the right again only with an inspector's authority, recorded in writing.
    3. C. He may again have someone told of his whereabouts on arrival at the second station.
    4. D. He may exercise the right again only after 24 hours have passed since the relevant time.
    Show answer

    C. He may again have someone told of his whereabouts on arrival at the second station.

    The right to have one person informed of the arrest and whereabouts is exercisable whenever the detainee is transferred from one place to another, and s.56 applies to each occasion as it applies to the first (s.56(8) PACE). Code C para 5.3 repeats this.

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.56(8); PACE Code C (2023), para 5.3

  4. 4. GIBBS, aged 34, is detained. The arresting officer says GIBBS seemed confused and kept agreeing with everything suggested to him, but there is no record of any diagnosed condition. Which of the following is correct under Code C?

    1. A. Only juveniles need an appropriate adult, so no further action is required in GIBBS's case.
    2. B. GIBBS can be treated as vulnerable only if he himself asks for an appropriate adult to be called.
    3. C. If there is any reason to suspect he is vulnerable, he must be so treated unless clear evidence dispels it.
    4. D. GIBBS can be treated as vulnerable only if a healthcare professional confirms that he has a mental disorder.
    Show answer

    C. If there is any reason to suspect he is vulnerable, he must be so treated unless clear evidence dispels it.

    Code C para 1.4 provides that if an officer has any reason to suspect that a person of any age may be vulnerable (as defined in para 1.13(d), which includes being particularly prone to accepting suggestions or becoming confused), that person must be treated as vulnerable in the absence of clear evidence to dispel the suspicion. Note 1G says a lack of diagnosis does not mean the person is not vulnerable.

    Source: PACE Code C (2023), paras 1.4, 1.13(d), Note 1G

  5. 5. EDWARDS has been charged with robbery and refused bail. He is kept in police detention overnight to appear at court in the morning. Who must carry out reviews of his detention?

    1. A. An inspector not directly involved in the investigation
    2. B. No one, because reviews are not required after charge
    3. C. A superintendent responsible for the station
    4. D. The custody officer
    Show answer

    D. The custody officer

    Section 40(1) PACE requires periodic reviews of detention: for a person arrested and charged, by the custody officer (s.40(1)(a)); for a person arrested but not charged, by an inspector or above not directly involved in the investigation (s.40(1)(b)). Code C Note 15A says the same.

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.40(1)

  6. 6. What is the maximum period for which a person arrested for an indictable offence may be kept in police detention without charge under PACE, measured from the relevant time?

    1. A. Seven days
    2. B. 36 hours
    3. C. 96 hours
    4. D. 72 hours
    Show answer

    C. 96 hours

    Detention without charge is limited to 24 hours from the relevant time (s.41), extendable by a superintendent to 36 hours (s.42) and then by magistrates' warrants of further detention and extensions (ss.43-44). An extension may not end later than 96 hours after the relevant time (s.44(3)(b)).

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.44(3)

  7. 7. At a designated police station the only custody sergeant on duty is called away to a medical emergency elsewhere in the building. While no custody officer is readily available, PC HUGHES, who has no involvement in the case, books in BARNES and authorises his detention. Which of the following is correct?

    1. A. PC HUGHES has acted unlawfully, because custody functions at a designated station may only be performed by an officer of at least the rank of sergeant.
    2. B. PC HUGHES may perform the custody officer's functions, because an officer of any rank may do so when a custody officer is not readily available.
    3. C. PC HUGHES may perform the functions only if an inspector has first authorised him in writing to do so.
    4. D. BARNES must be held without his detention being authorised until a sergeant becomes available.
    Show answer

    B. PC HUGHES may perform the custody officer's functions, because an officer of any rank may do so when a custody officer is not readily available.

    Section 36(3) PACE requires an appointed custody officer to be at least a sergeant, but s.36(4) allows an officer of any rank to perform custody functions at a designated station if a custody officer is not readily available. PC HUGHES is not involved in the investigation, so s.36(5) is no bar. References to a custody officer include an officer acting under s.36(4) (s.36(8)).

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.36(3)-(5)

  8. 8. QUINN attends a police station voluntarily at 09:00. His voluntary interview about a fraud begins at 09:30, and he is arrested at 11:20 when it becomes necessary to do so. His detention is authorised at 11:50. What is the relevant time?

    1. A. 11:50
    2. B. 09:30
    3. C. 09:00
    4. D. 11:20
    Show answer

    D. 11:20

    Where a person attends a police station voluntarily and is then arrested there, s.41(2)(c) PACE makes the relevant time the time of his arrest. QUINN's detention clock therefore runs from 11:20.

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.41(2)(c)

  9. 9. MORRIS is arrested for theft and brought before PS KANE, the custody officer. PS KANE decides there is not yet sufficient evidence to charge, and the investigating officer wants to interview MORRIS about the theft. On what basis may PS KANE authorise MORRIS's detention?

    1. A. If he has reasonable grounds for believing detention is necessary to secure, preserve or obtain evidence by questioning.
    2. B. Only if MORRIS agrees to be interviewed, because detention for questioning requires the suspect's consent.
    3. C. If he reasonably suspects MORRIS of an indictable offence and considers that detention is in the public interest.
    4. D. Only if an inspector agrees that an interview is necessary to obtain evidence, and records the reason for it.
    Show answer

    A. If he has reasonable grounds for believing detention is necessary to secure, preserve or obtain evidence by questioning.

    Where the custody officer does not have sufficient evidence to charge, s.37(3) PACE allows detention without charge only if he has reasonable grounds for believing it is necessary to secure or preserve evidence relating to an offence for which the person is under arrest, or to obtain such evidence by questioning. Otherwise the person must be released, on bail or without bail (s.37(2), (2A)).

    Source: Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.37(1)-(3)

  10. 10. KING is brought into custody smelling strongly of alcohol and slurring his words. No clinical directions have been given by a healthcare professional. Under Code C, how often must KING be visited?

    1. A. At least every half hour, being roused and his condition assessed under Annex H.
    2. B. At least every two hours, provided his cell is covered by continuous CCTV monitoring.
    3. C. At least every hour, and he need not be woken if asleep unless a risk was identified.
    4. D. At least every 15 minutes, with each visit made by a healthcare professional.
    Show answer

    A. At least every half hour, being roused and his condition assessed under Annex H.

    Code C para 9.3 requires detainees to be visited at least every hour, but those suspected of being under the influence of drink or drugs, or whose level of consciousness causes concern, must, subject to clinical directions, be visited and roused at least every half hour and have their condition assessed under Annex H.

    Source: PACE Code C (2023), para 9.3

Frequently asked questions

+What is PACE Code C?

Code C is one of the codes of practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. It covers the detention, treatment and questioning of people by police officers, outside terrorism cases (which fall under Code H). The current version applies to people in police detention from 20 December 2023.

+What are your rights in police custody?

Under Code C paragraph 3.1 the custody officer must tell you about your right to free, independent legal advice, to have someone told of your arrest, to consult the Codes of Practice and, where relevant, to an interpreter and to contact your embassy or consulate. You must also be given a written notice of your rights and entitlements.

+How long can police hold you without charge?

The basic limit is 24 hours from the relevant time (PACE s.41). A superintendent can extend it to 36 hours for an indictable offence (s.42), and a magistrates' court can issue warrants of further detention up to a maximum of 96 hours (ss.43 and 44). Terrorism cases follow different rules.

+Who can be an appropriate adult?

For a juvenile it is a parent or guardian, a local authority social worker or, failing these, another responsible adult aged 18 or over who is independent of the police. For a vulnerable adult it can be a relative or carer, or someone experienced with vulnerable people who is not police. A solicitor acting in that capacity cannot be the appropriate adult (Note 1F).

+Can the police refuse access to a solicitor?

Only in narrow cases under Annex B. The person must be detained for an indictable offence and not yet charged, and a superintendent or above must have reasonable grounds to believe that access will lead to specified consequences such as harm to evidence or alerting other suspects. The delay can never go beyond 36 hours from the relevant time.

+How often must detention be reviewed?

For a person arrested but not charged, an inspector not directly involved in the investigation reviews detention. The first review is due within 6 hours of detention first being authorised, the second within 9 hours of the first, and later reviews at intervals of no more than 9 hours (PACE s.40).

+Is a voluntary interview covered by Code C?

Yes. Paragraphs 3.21 to 3.22B cover people who attend voluntarily. They can leave at will unless arrested, must be told they are not under arrest when cautioned, and keep the same safeguards about legal advice, appropriate adults and interpreters as detained suspects.

+What happens if the police breach Code C?

A breach does not of itself make an officer liable to criminal or civil proceedings (PACE s.67(10)), but the code is admissible and must be taken into account where relevant (s.67(11)). A court can exclude a confession under s.76 or other evidence under s.78 if the breach makes it unreliable or unfair, and misconduct proceedings may follow.

Revision aid, not legal advice. The College of Policing exams follow the 2027 Blackstone's Police Manuals, so check every point against your manual and the current law on legislation.gov.uk. Police Sergeant Exam is independent and not affiliated with the College of Policing, the Home Office or Oxford University Press.

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