Law, Your Rights And Citizenship

You and the law

The ‘law’ is the set of rules by which our society manages itself, and these are designed to help and protect you and your family. There are national laws and local by-laws.

As far as young people are concerned there are national laws that say how old you have to be before you can drink alcohol, smoke, drive a car, have sex, get married, do certain jobs, vote in a local or general election.

You may not feel it’s the case but these laws are designed to give you protection and to stop you being exploited!

You can find out more about when you can legally do things by looking at the ‘Your rights’ section on Connexions Direct.

Been in trouble?

If you’ve got yourself into trouble you might find that the YOT (Youth Offending Team) is involved in helping you; their website tells you more about how they’ll help and support you.

Legal rights

If you are suspected of a crime the police have the right to:

• stop and search you
• arrest you and take you to the police station
• confiscate your belongings (these must be recorded and bagged in front of you)
• keep you at the station for up to 24 hours
• question you.

You have the right to:

• be searched by an officer of the same sex
• refuse to go to the station if you are not under arrest
• tell someone you are there
• say nothing.

You are also entitled to free legal advice and you may be accompanied by an adult if you are under 17.

Consumer rights

As a consumer you should:

• check that the product you are buying matches its description
• check that the product does what it claims to do
• use the product only for its proper purpose
• keep the receipt so you can prove where and when you bought it.

The retailer must:

• be honest about describing the product
• make sure the product does as is claimed
• tell you of any fault if the product is damaged.

There are also rules called ‘local by-laws’ which are determined by the local authority, and these for example will say what sort of part time jobs you can do while you are still at school. To find out more you’ll need to contact the local authority.

Crimestoppers is an independent charity who you can call anonymously on 0800 555 111 to pass on information about crime. You can also pass on information via the 'Give information anonymously' button on our website. Calls and online forms cannot be traced – we only want to know what you know about crime, not who you are.

Shadow CS is a fun, interactive website aimed at young people aged 11 – 16+ all about crime. It allows you to get involved in discussions about crime and the everyday things that affect you. You can also ‘Ask Shady’ anonymously for advice if you don't know what to do. There are games, downloads, music, competitions, reviews and much more on the website.