Appropriate Adults: Role and Responsibilities

An appropriate adult is a person who must be present in police custody to assist and support a juvenile (a person under 18) or a person who appears to be mentally disordered or otherwise mentally vulnerable. The role is not merely ceremonial: the appropriate adult is there to ensure that the detained person understands what is happening, to facilitate communication with officers, to advise the detainee, and to observe whether the interview is being conducted fairly. Appropriate adults have the right to intervene in interviews to assist the interviewee or to draw attention to matters that should be clarified.

For juveniles, the appropriate adult should ideally be a parent or guardian, a social worker, or failing that another responsible adult aged 18 or over who is not a police officer or other person employed by the police. A solicitor acting as the juvenile's legal adviser cannot also act as their appropriate adult. The appropriate adult must be informed of the reason for the arrest and the grounds for detention, and must be present during any interview, caution, or significant event in the custody process.

For mentally disordered or mentally vulnerable adults, Code C of the PACE Codes of Practice requires that the custody officer must call an appropriate adult as soon as practicable. The appropriate adult in this context may be a relative, guardian, or other person responsible for the adult's care; a professional or person experienced in dealing with mentally disordered or mentally vulnerable persons who is not a police officer; or failing those, some other responsible adult who is not a police officer. Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) and others with mental health training often fulfil this role in practice.

The concept of the appropriate adult was developed in response to a series of cases where confessions or admissions were obtained from juveniles and vulnerable adults in circumstances that raised serious questions about their reliability. The Court of Appeal has quashed convictions in cases where appropriate adults were not called, where the appropriate adult did not fulfil their role properly, or where the police used the presence of an appropriate adult in a way that undermined the purpose of the requirement. Appropriate adult services are provided in many areas by voluntary organisations, funded by local authorities.