If someone is arrested or invited to answer questions in respect of a criminal matter, they are entitled to free and independent legal advice at the police station.

The Police Station Qualification (PSQ) is the means through which practising solicitors can qualify to provide advice and assistance at the police station for which payment is claimed from the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).

Often referred to as the police station accreditation course, the PSQ consists of two assessments; the police station accreditation portfolio and the critical incident test.

For further information regarding each police station accreditation assessment, please click below:
PSQ Portfolio Submission
PSQ CIT

The PSQ assessment process has been designed to ensure that prospective police station representatives have the necessary level of competence to undertake police station work and that the advice they provide is of a sufficiently high standard. Unlike those undertaking the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS), practitioners completing the Police Station Qualification are not required to attend at the police station with a supervising solicitor or complete Part A of the Portfolio. Consequently, practitioners undertaking the PSQ will be unable to apply for probationary police station rep status or claim payment for any attendances which they complete whilst they are in the process of completing the police station accreditation.

Only once practitioners have completed both Police Station Qualification assessments, will they be able to apply to join the LAA police station register as a fully accredited police station representative.

If you require further information regarding how to become police station accredited, please contact the Accreditations Department on 0151 236 2024

Datalaw are authorised to deliver the Police Station Qualification by the Law Society but we can only offer advice and assistance regarding the police station accreditation process.

Any questions regarding how to register as an accredited police station representative should be be directed to the LAA on 0845 543 8910 / 0345 7500 620 or at dscc.enquiries@capita.co.uk

The Police Station Qualification is one element of the Law Society’s Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme (CLAS). Practitioners who wish to become duty solicitors and have their own slot on the legal aid rota the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS) or the Police Station Qualification (PSQ) and the Magistrates Court Qualification (MCQ) can obtain CLAS membership.

These Practitioners who wish to become duty solicitors and have their own slot on the legal aid rota must apply for membership of the Law Society’s Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme (CLAS); The Police Station Qualification is one element of CLAS. Only those who have completed the Police Station Qualification (PSQ) or the Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS) and the Magistrates Court Qualification (MCQ) can obtain CLAS membership.

For further details, please click below:
Magistrates Court Qualification (MCQ)
Police Station Representatives Accreditation Scheme (PSRAS)