You have legal rights. If you’re arrested or detained by police, the police must:
- tell you the charge you’re being arrested or detained for,
- tell you that you have the right to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible, and
- give you the chance to speak to a lawyer on the phone. You may speak to any lawyer of your choice who’ll accept your call (but may charge a fee). A free lawyer is also available on the Brydges Line phone service, 24 hours a day. The police should let you call the Brydges Line while you’re in custody if you don’t have or can’t reach a lawyer of your choice.
You also have the right:
- to remain silent,
- to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court,
- to get a fair trial, and
- to have your trial within a reasonable time.
Remember: It’s up to the prosecutor to prove your guilt.
