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03related terms
May 2026reviewed
In detail
How caution works in practice.
A caution is a formal warning given by police to a person before they are questioned about an offence. The caution informs the person that they are not obliged to answer questions, but that anything they do say will be recorded and may be given in evidence in court proceedings. In Victoria, police are required to administer the caution before conducting a record of interview. A failure to administer the caution properly can, in some circumstances, result in the interview being excluded from evidence.
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