Of Rights and Roles: Police Interviews with Young Suspects in Northern Ireland

Although the rules governing police interviews with suspects in custody have been well regulated since the introduction of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, concern has been expressed over the years about the vulnerable position of young suspects within the PACE regime and about the adequacy of the safeguards provided. This paper discusses the nature of police interviews with young people in Northern Ireland, drawing on the findings of a recent research project. The paper focuses particularly on the roles of the various participants (the interviewing officer(s), the appropriate adult and the solicitor) within the dynamics of advising young persons before and during the police interview and calls for a reconstruction of the role of the appropriate adult.