By Paul Thornton
SENIOR police officers ignored a Scottish Government pledge to Europe to allow suspects access to legal representation during interviews for over four years, it can be revealed.
The Scottish legal community has been rocked by a shift in policy by the Crown Office over solicitor access to people being interviewed by police.
Prosecutors told forces that they must allow access to legal advice when suspects request it – a U-turn on the previous practice, last month.
It is thought the move came amid fears that a panel of seven judges at the UK Supreme Court is set to rule that denying access is in breach of human rights laws.
But documents released under freedom of information rules reveal that the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) issued guidance going completely against a government pledge to Brussels to allow access, made in 2005.
Deadline Press & Picture Agency 