Are cautions just a ‘slap on the wrist’ or are there further implications in accepting one?

Cautions are often referred to as a ‘slap on the wrist’ and can appear appealing as it means that you’ll be dealt with quickly at the police station and won’t need to go to court.

However, many people are not aware that a caution will form part of their criminal record and can cause problems in the future.

Calls to our helpline continually highlight the number of individuals who are unaware of the significance of accepting a caution until it resurfaces unexpectedly many years later.

We’ve produced some new information on the implications of accepting a police caution which we’d recommend anybody faced with the option of accepting a caution reads before deciding how to proceed.

We’re also working on some more information about things to be aware of after receiving a caution – we’ll be sharing more details about this soon.

For more information

1. For practical self-help information – More information is available on our implications of accepting a police caution section
2. Questions – If you have any questions you can contact our helpline