Report and Recommendations - Scottish Government

of his/her replies because of an apparent (a) mental illness; (b)personality disorder; or (c) learning disability;⎯ statute should define the role of an appropriate adult as being to assistin ensuring that effective communication takes place between thesuspect, the police and the suspect’s solicitor (if any) and that thesuspect is not disadvantaged, relative to the non-vulnerable suspect, inthe detention and interview processes by reason of his/hervulnerability;⎯ statute should provide that a vulnerable suspect must be providedwith the services of an appropriate adult as soon as practicable afterdetention and prior to any questioning. He/she should only be able towaive his/her right of access to a lawyer if the appropriate adult alsoagrees to this; and⎯ statute should define, at least in broad terms, the qualifications,professional or otherwise, necessary for a person to be an appropriateadult. The Review has not had sufficient material upon which to forma view on this subject, and the Government should carry out furtherresearch in that regard.234