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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Police Investigation & Arrest

Interrogation

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ɪnˌterəˈɡeɪʃn/nounCommon term

In criminal law & justice, interrogation means: The formal and often long questioning of a suspect by the police or other officials in order to get information or a confession.

In Turkish: sorgu, sorgulama, ifade alma

How it is used

Common in American English, news and human rights reports: 'police interrogation', 'interrogation room', 'under interrogation'. British police prefer the neutral word 'interview' ('an interview under caution'). Interrogations are usually recorded, and lawyers check whether the suspect's rights were respected.

Example sentences

  1. The interrogation lasted more than seven hours.

  2. Every police interrogation at the station is video recorded.

  3. He claimed he was denied a lawyer during the interrogation.

Common collocations

  • police interrogation
  • interrogation room
  • under interrogation
  • interrogation techniques
  • suspectA person whom the police believe may have committed a crime but who has not yet been charged or found guilty.
  • right to remain silentA suspect's legal right not to answer questions from the police or the court, so that nobody can be forced to give evidence against themselves.
  • confessionA statement in which a person admits that they committed a crime, usually made to the police during questioning.
  • statementA written or recorded account of what a person saw, heard or did, given formally to the police or a court.
  • detainTo keep someone officially in a place, such as a police station or prison, and not let them leave.

More terms: Police Investigation & Arrest

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.