Police Station Lawyer
Cairns & Far North Queensland
Police have asked you to come in for an interview. Or someone you know has been arrested and taken to the watch-house. Before anything else happens — before any questions are answered — call a lawyer. Call Sacha now.
Do Not Go Into a Police Interview Without a Lawyer
This is the single most important thing on this page. Under Queensland law, you have the right to speak with a lawyer before participating in a police interview. Police must inform you of this right and give you a reasonable opportunity to exercise it. A formal record of interview, once created, becomes part of the prosecution brief. Magistrates read it. Juries read it. It is almost never excluded. Anything said in that room — including answers that seem reasonable or innocent at the time — can be reframed and relied upon by the prosecution. The first hour at a police station decides more than most people realise. Call before you go in.
Your Rights at a Queensland Police Station
The Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld) gives you clear rights at the police station. These are not negotiable — they apply regardless of the alleged offence. You have the right to silence. You are not required to answer police questions about an alleged offence. The only details you must provide are your name and address. Beyond that — silence is your right, and exercising it cannot be used against you. You have the right to a lawyer before any interview. Police must inform you of this right. If you ask to speak with a lawyer, police must give you a reasonable opportunity to do so before the interview begins. You have the right to have a lawyer present during the interview. Sacha attends police stations in person. She sits beside you in the interview room and advises you — in real time — on which questions to answer and which to decline. You can refuse to consent to a search. Police search powers depend on the legal basis they are relying on. In many situations, they need your consent or a warrant. Whether a search was conducted lawfully is often a live issue in later court proceedings.
What Actually Happens at a Police Interview
If police have asked you to attend an interview — or if you have been arrested and brought to a police station — the process typically follows this sequence: 1. Arrival and processing. You are brought to a police station or watch-house. If arrested, your personal effects are taken and you are placed in a holding area. 2. The caution. Before any formal interview, police must caution you — informing you of your right to silence and your right to contact a lawyer. 3. The record of interview. This is the formal, electronically recorded interview. A police officer asks questions about the alleged offence. Everything you say is transcribed and preserved as evidence. 4. After the interview. Police decide whether to charge you, release you pending further investigation, or release you without charge. If charged, they decide whether to grant police bail or hold you in custody for a court appearance. Most people are not trained in interview technique. Police are. The interview room is not neutral ground — it is a controlled environment designed to produce admissions. Having a lawyer present changes the dynamic entirely.
“Police Just Want to Ask a Few Questions”
This is the most common scenario. Police call or attend your home and say they would like to ask a few questions about an incident. It sounds informal. It is not. What you should know: You do not have to go in immediately. You can ask for time to arrange legal advice. This is your right and police must accommodate a reasonable request. Even informal conversations are evidence. Police can — and do — record informal exchanges in their notebooks. Those notes become part of the prosecution case. “Helping with enquiries” is not a legal obligation. Police may suggest that cooperating will help your position. That may or may not be true. The decision to cooperate or remain silent should be made on legal advice, not on what an investigating officer suggests. If police have contacted you, call Sacha before responding. A short phone call — before anything is said to police — can change the entire trajectory of a matter.
What Happens After the Interview
After the interview, police decide what happens next. The decision depends on the evidence, the seriousness of the charge, and your cooperation. Charged and released on police bail — you receive a Notice to Appear with a court date and bail conditions. Conditions may include curfew, non-contact provisions, or reporting to a police station. Charged and held in custody — if police bail is refused, you are held in the watch-house until a bail application can be made in the Magistrates Court, usually the next business day. Released pending further investigation — police may release you without charge while the investigation continues. This does not mean the matter is over — charges can be laid later. Released without charge — the investigation may conclude without charges being laid. In every scenario, Sacha advises on what the outcome means, what conditions apply, and what you should do — and not do — before the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to answer police questions?
No. In Queensland, you are only required to provide your name and address. You are not required to answer questions about an alleged offence. Exercising the right to silence cannot be held against you.
Can I call a lawyer before a police interview?
Yes. Under the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000 (Qld), you have the right to speak with a lawyer before any interview. Police must give you a reasonable opportunity to do so.
Can I have a lawyer in the interview room with me?
Yes. Sacha attends police stations in person and sits with you during the formal record of interview. She advises in real time on which questions to answer and which to decline.
What if police come to my house?
You are not required to invite police in without a warrant. You are not required to answer questions at the door. You can ask for time to arrange legal advice. If police have a warrant, they can enter — but the scope of a warrant is often narrower than police suggest.
What if I’ve already spoken to police?
Call Sacha. What was said may or may not be admissible. The admissibility of statements made to police — including whether the caution was properly given, whether the right to a lawyer was offered, and the circumstances of the interview — are regularly challenged in court proceedings.
What if someone I know has been arrested?
If a family member has been taken to the Cairns watch-house, Sacha can attend in person to conference with them, advise on bail, and prepare for the first court appearance. Call 0425 429 458 .
Is the fixed fee the total cost?
The police station fee covers everything up to and including the interview — phone consultation, private conference, interview attendance, post-interview liaison, and written follow-up. Court appearances are not included and are quoted separately before any further work begins.
Can police use what I said informally — not in the interview room?
Yes. Police can record informal conversations in their notebooks and those notes become part of the prosecution case. Even exchanges that feel casual — at the front counter, in the patrol car, at your front door — can be documented and used as evidence. This is why the advice is the same whether the conversation is formal or informal: call a lawyer first.
Fixed Fees
- Police Station Lawyer — Business Hours — $1,950
- Police Station Lawyer — After Hours — $3,200
- Watch-House Visit — $1,650