Examining the Administration of Youth Interrogation Rights: A Field Study of Canadian Police Practices

Abstract

The delivery of interrogation rights to youth suspects and associated behaviours (e.g. seeking evidence of comprehension) were examined in a sample of real-world interrogations (N = 31). Interrogation rights were delivered fully in approximately one-third of interrogations. Verification of comprehension was attempted rarely, and interrogators asked the youth to explain each right in their own words in less than 10 per cent of interrogations. Without improvement in the administration of interrogation rights, youth suspects remain vulnerable and unprotected in the criminal justice system.