Asked · answered
Do people have to talk to the police if police call or contact them?
In short
No. You do not have to answer police questions, in person, at a station, or by phone. You can confirm who you are. If you are arrested or detained, you have the right to call a lawyer, including free duty counsel, and that call is private.
- Free
- Private
- No pressure
- Canadian
Transcript
No. You do not have to answer police questions, in person, at a station, or by phone. You can confirm who you are. If you are arrested or detained, you have the right to call a lawyer, including free duty counsel, and that call is private.
No — you do not have to answer police questions, whether that's in person, at a station, or over the phone. You can confirm identifying information if asked, but you're not required to explain, discuss the events, or answer follow-up questions.
If you are arrested or detained, you have the right to call a lawyer, including free duty counsel, and that call is private. If you are not detained, you can still choose to speak to a lawyer before you respond.
This applies the same way whether the contact is a phone call, a text, or an in-person visit.
Anything you say can be used later. What you should actually say or do in your situation is the kind of thing only the lawyer can answer — the office goes through it with you on the call.
Sources: Criminal Code of Canada · Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (ss. 7, 10(b)) · Law Society of Ontario · Legal Aid Ontario
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