FAS

The Right to Remain Silent Around the World

06.30.16 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The Miranda warning advising detained persons that they have the right to remain silent has counterparts in the legal systems of 108 countries or jurisdictions around the world. These were collected and described in a new staff study performed for the Law Library of Congress.

“The warnings specified in the surveyed jurisdictions vary, but typically include the right to remain silent and the right to legal counsel. A number of countries also specify that a person who is arrested or detained has the right to be informed of the reasons for the arrest or detention or of the charges being brought,” the study said.

See Miranda Warning Equivalents Abroad, Staff of the Law Library of Congress Global Legal Research Center, May 2016.

In Kiribati, “the police officer may ask the suspect to explain the meaning of the caution in his or her own words” to ensure that the suspect understands the matter correctly, the report said.

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