If you have not yet been charged with a criminal offence, there is some information you should be aware of. To determine whether you have been charged with something, see Forms of Release.

You do not need to speak with police. You are never under any obligation to answer any questions asked of you by the police, EXCEPT that you must, if asked, provide the police with your name, address and date of birth.

If you do decide to answer questions posed by police, it is essential that you be HONEST with them. Lying to police, giving them inaccurate information or supplying them with false name, date of birth or address is a criminal offence. If you weren't already in trouble, lying to police can get you into it in a very serious way.

REMEMBER that everything you say to police will likely be recorded by them, and that almost everything you say can be used against you in court later. Therefore, if the police ask you a question that sounds like it might make you admit a crime or other wrongdoing, the best approach may be to ask to speak with a lawyer.

UPON ARREST, you have the right to speak with a lawyer. Even if you do not have a lawyer of your own, there are duty counsel services available to you by telephone, at no cost. Duty counsel are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.