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Police & Law Enforcement
The Constitution protects your dignity and your freedom whenever you deal with the police. Learn what you can ask, what to carry, and how to keep an ordinary stop calm.
Situation: You are stopped on the road or in a public place
Stated generally. The exact position always depends on the facts.
What you should do
What you should not do
“Refusing to answer questions is automatically an offence.”
It depends on what you are being asked and why. Calmly asking why you have been stopped is not the same as getting in the way of the police.
“Recording an encounter is illegal.”
There is no general ban, although where you are and what is happening can matter. Being open about recording helps keep things calm.
When to speak to a lawyer