The Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Right to have someone informed when arrested

57.—(1) Where a person has been arrested and is being held in custody in a police station or other premises, he shall be entitled, if he so requests, to have one friend or relative or other person who isknown to him or who is likely to take an interest in his welfare told, as soon as is practicable except to the extent that delay is permitted by this Article, that he has been arrested and is being detained there.

(2) Delay is only permitted—

(a) in the case of a person who is in police detention for a serious arrestable offence; and

(b) if an officer of at least the rank of superintendent authorises it.

(3) In any case the person in custody must be permitted to exercise the right conferred by paragraph (1) within 36 hours from the relevant time, as defined in Article 42(2).

(4) An officer may give an authorisation under paragraph (2) orally or in writing but, if he gives it orally, he shall confirm it in writing as soon as is practicable.

(5) An officer may only authorise delay where he has reasonable grounds for believing that telling the named person of the arrest—

(a) will lead to interference with or harm to evidence connected with a serious arrestable offence or interference with or physical injury to other persons; or

(b) will lead to the alerting of other persons suspected of having committed such an offence but not yet arrested for it; or

(c) will hinder the recovery of any property obtained as a result of such an offence.

(6) If a delay is authorised—

(a) the detained person shall be told the reason for it; and

(b) the reason shall be noted on his custody record.

(7) The duties imposed by paragraph (6) shall be performed as soon as is practicable.

(8) The rights conferred by this Article on a person detained at a police station or other premises are exercisable whenever he is transferred from one place to another; and this Article applies to each subsequent occasion on which they are exercisable as it applies to the first such occasion.

(9) There may be no further delay in permitting the exercise of the right conferred by paragraph (1) once the reason for authorising delay ceases to subsist.

(10) Nothing in this Article applies to a person arrested or detained under the terrorism provisions.