Key takeaways
- Custody record review is a structured audit — booking-in times, checks, reviews, legal rights, and medical entries.
- Reps add value by spotting timeline gaps and welfare flags early.
- Summarise for solicitors in neutral, factual language.
Questions this article answers
- What order should you read entries in?
- What anomalies appear repeatedly?
- How should notes to the firm differ from your client-facing explanations?
Read chronologically
Start at booking-in, then move forward. Ask:
- Were reviews conducted on time?
- Was legal advice offered and recorded accurately?
- Were medical needs flagged and acted on?
Cross-check against what the client tells you in pre-interview consultation.
Common friction points
- Clock math across midnight shifts
- Handover between custody officers
- Delay between arrest and interview — without speculation, note the fact pattern
Deep PACE context sits on our PACE hub — use it as reference, not a substitute for supervision.
Firm handover
Your attendance note should let a solicitor who was not there reconstruct risk. Link onward to disclosure handling when interviews move from welfare issues to evidence questions.
Professional practice notes — not legal advice.