If you are being investigated by the Military Police you don’t usually have to answer their questions. If you are ordered to answer questions, your answers cannot usually be used as evidence against you. However, if you do decide to answer questions, you must not lie. If you do lie, you could be charged with conduct prejudicial to service discipline, and if you answered questions in a signed statement you could be charged with making a false statement. Both these are potentially serious offences.
If you are spoken to by the Military Police, ask if you are under investigation. If you think that you might be in trouble, you don’t have to answer any questions. If you are cautioned (being “read your rights”) you should talk to a lawyer before deciding whether to answer any questions. The NZDF have a list of lawyers you can speak to for free. You can contact Frontline Law on 0800252748 and speak with a lawyer experienced in military discipline matters.
Frontline Law is a team of talented lawyers, most of whom have previously served in the Armed Forces, New Zealand Police, and other uniformed organisations.
The first step in getting support is to talk with a lawyer from Frontline Law about your situation and see what options we can offer you. Contact Frontline Law for a free initial consultation.
