Invitation to interrogation
Jorgen Van Laer, with his extensive experience in criminal law, was a trainer at the Bar Association responsible for training on assistance in interrogation. He gladly passes on this expertise to his motivated team in criminal law. Each vice lawyer has the certificate Supralat - Salduz training. Bannister lawyers is highly specialized in assistance in interrogation and subsequent criminal defense.
Suppose you receive an invitation for questioning. You are asked to present yourself to the police on a specified date to make a statement. As an attachment to your invitation to interrogation, you will find a statement of your rights that reminds you that you are entitled to the assistance of an attorney during your interrogation.
Often with this, you don't know where you stand. How serious is the case? What are the police allowed to do and what not? What are you entitled to?
It is particularly important to be properly assisted and protected from the early stages of criminal proceedings. Your role in the process starts (after all) at the time of interrogation. During interrogation, it is the lawyer's job to defend your rights and actively intervene where necessary. Care must also be taken (ensured) that no mistakes are made that could later have very serious consequences in the criminal proceedings. Thus, proper preparation is extremely important both before, during and after the interrogation.
Phase 1: before interrogation
We will make an appointment at our office where we can go through your case together and where you will have the opportunity to tell your story. This of course in the privacy of our office. While handling your case, we will exercise the utmost discretion. It is essential that you are well aware of exactly what facts you are suspected of having committed. Your invitation to interrogation will include a brief statement of the facts. Often this is only a description of the crime but no "story" is communicated. However, this is important for understanding the substance of the case. Sometimes there are still ambiguities about the scope/content of the facts you are charged with.
We will contact the police departments for you to obtain more information so that we can advise you appropriately. Also, during the consultation you can explain your case in an in-depth discussion. During the preliminary consultation at our office it is important to work on a strategy that will be continued throughout the investigation. This way, you will get the best possible result at the end. We also ensure that you are optimally prepared for the interrogation. You will receive extensive training on how to behave, insight into the psychology of the interrogation and how best to approach the police. This will allow you to come to the interrogation feeling confident and better armed.
Phase 2: during the interrogation
During the interrogation, we provide active assistance. This means that we will be punctual in ensuring that your rights are respected by the police during the interrogation. Any form of coercion or improper action against you will be excluded by our assistance. You will be able to tell your story in a calm and correct manner, we will see to that. There is also a 15-minute suspension option that can be requested by you or the lawyer to consult confidentially. This can be done, for example, when you have doubts about giving a specific answer. We will regularly intervene when we suspect that the interrogation is not correctly written down by the police.
We never avoid a discussion about the correct choice of words. If (unknowingly) incorrectly written down by the police we intervene. Every word and every detail counts for us. After all, the statement enters your file and can have far-reaching consequences. Because you need to focus on the content of the interrogation, these crucial details may slip from your attention. It is our job as experienced professionals to watch over the good order of your statement and respond where necessary. At the end of the interrogation you will receive the text of the interrogation. Changes are still perfectly possible. If necessary, we will also advise you on this.
Phase 3: after the interrogation
Hopefully your problem will stop after this interrogation, but usually not. The procedure must be actively followed. VLVM Lawyers will help you request access to the file. This allows us to form a picture of the size of the problem and further develop the appropriate strategy. Additional research can be requested and we can attach documents and evidence ourselves.
Thus, we prepare your case ideally. At the time your trial comes before the court, we are sufficiently armed to achieve the best result. VLVM Lawyers achieved very good results in some of the largest criminal proceedings that have taken place in Belgium in recent years. Our experience is your asset.