History Main / YouDoNotHaveToSayAnything

(Sharp-eyed tropers will note that this ''is'' an unqualified right to remain silent. The reason for Scottish people enjoying this unqualified right whilst the English don't is because Scotland has its own legal system. However, this unqualified right has to be balanced against other features of Scots law. Prior to the Cadder case (decided in October 2010), for example, the accused in Scotland had no right to consult with a lawyer before being questioned, whereas those in other parts of the UK did. Source: ''[[http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/legal/criminalprocedure/cadder-case-qanda Scottish Government website]]''.)

->"You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

(Sharp-eyed tropers will note that this ''is'' an unqualified right to remain silent. The reason for Scottish people enjoying this unqualified right whilst the English don't is because Scotland has its own legal system. However, this unqualified right has to be balanced against other features of Scots law. Prior to the Cadder case, for example, the accused in Scotland had no right to consult with a lawyer before being questioned, whereas those in other parts of the UK did. Source: ''[[http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/legal/criminalprocedure/cadder-case-qanda Scottish Government website]]''.)

(Source: ''[[http://www.connexions-northlondon.co.uk/site/text/the-law-and-you/your-legal-rights/police-caution.php Your Legal Rights: Police Caution]]''.)

* In the first series of ''Series/{{Life On Mars|2006}}'', Sam Tyler stubbornly continues to recite the post-1994 version of the caution in 1973. Each time, another cop or the arrestee tells him he's got it wrong. And at one point, he catches himself, tries to remember the old version, and comes up with the ''[[MirandaRights Miranda]]'' warning from the US.

** In ''Literature/{{Thud}}'', Sergeant Colon reads the an imprisoned dwarf clerk his rights "but don't ask me [[HeroicBSOD if he understood them]]". This time the irrelevant "rights" concern [[SpotOfTea tea and biscuits]].

* In ''{{Suspects}}'', this caution is usually accompanied by vigorous verbal protest from the arrestee and the officer often has to say "Do you understand?" several times.

(Sharp-eyed tropers will note that the accused now has only a ''qualified'' right to remain silent[[note]]If you don't say something that could exculpate you (i.e. would assist in your defence) while being questioned, then you will have to explain ''why'' you didn't mention it during your trial, and if your reason not to mention it isn't good enough, your ''silence'' will be used against you - known in the legal profession as an "adverse inference"[[/note]], whereas before 1994 the accused had an ''absolute'' right to remain silent[[note]]You don't need to say anything to police that have arrested you, period. No exceptions, and you can withhold information that may assist in your defense at trial without having to explain why[[/note]]. This change was enormously controversial at the time and is still lamented by civil libertarians. It may also be at odds with the European Convention on Human Rights. However, whilst this change may seem unfair out of context, it makes a lot more sense when you know the full picture. In the UK, the rules on police interrogation were changed to make them fairer and decrease the chances of innocent suspects incriminating themselves or falsely confessing to crimes they didn't do [[note]] For example, UK police are not allowed to lie to suspects and must let them tell their side of the story with interruption[[/note]]. So it makes sense for police to be suspicious of a suspect refusing to talk)

(Sharp-eyed tropers will note that the accused now has only a ''qualified'' right to remain silent[[note]]If you don't say something that could exculpate you (i.e. would assist in your defense) while being questioned, then you will have to explain ''why'' you didn't mention it during your trial, and if your reason not to mention it isn't good enough, your ''silence'' will be used against you - known in the legal profession as an "adverse inference"[[/note]], whereas before 1994 the accused had an ''absolute'' right to remain silent[[note]]You don't need to say anything to police that have arrested you, period. No exceptions, and you can withhold information that may assist in your defense at trial without having to explain why[[/note]]. This change was enormously controversial at the time and is still lamented by civil libertarians. It may also be at odds with the European Convention on Human Rights. However, whilst this change may seem unfair put of context, it makes a lot more sense when you know the full picture. In the UK, the rules on police interrogation were changed to make them fairer and decrease the chances of innocent suspects incriminating themselves or falsely confessing to crimes they didn't do [[note]] For example, UK police are not allowed to lie to suspects and must let them tell their side of the story with interruption[[/note]]. So it makes sense for police to be suspicious of a suspect refusing to talk)

Standard caution read to anyone who gets arrested in the UK. Unlike [[MirandaRights the Miranda rights]], this is almost always done as well on TV (even if only parts of it), if not necessarily by the character who actually cuffs the perp.

(Sharp-eyed tropers will note that the accused now has only a ''qualified'' right to remain silent[[note]]If you don't say something that could exculpate you (i.e. would assist in your defense) while being questioned, then you will have to explain ''why'' you didn't mention it during your trial, and if your reason not to mention it isn't good enough, your ''silence'' will be used against you - known in the legal profession as an "adverse inference"[[/note]], whereas before 1994 the accused had an ''absolute'' right to remain silent[[note]]You don't need to say anything to police that have arrested you, period. No exceptions, and you can withhold information that may assist in your defense at trial without having to explain why[[/note]]. This change was enormously controversial at the time and is still lamented by civil libertarians. It may also be at odds with the European Convention on Human Rights.)

* A detective in the ''Series/DoctorWho'' special "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E15PlanetOfTheDead Planet of the Dead]]" arrests the companion du jour by saying "You do not have to say anything, et cetera, et cetera...". Made moot by the fact the Doctor frees her, but ''Magazine/DoctorWhoMagazine'' pointed out the arrest could be invalidated in the issue after its transmission.