1.2 The PEACE model

• Planning and preparation – which includes the pre-interview preparations.
• Engage and explain – which refers to all the relevant introductions, how to get the interview started and explain the rights and ground rules regarding the interview.
• Account, clarify and challenge – which refers to obtaining the suspect’s version of ‘what happened’, clarifying any elements of this and if required challenging this account (if for example it is found to be inconsistent with other evidence).
• Closure – which refers to closing the interview in a professional manner so the suspect, solicitor and all parties are clear about the close of the interview and what will happen next.
• Evaluation – which refers to looking at what the interview achieved and how it fits into the investigation as a whole, as well as the interview practitioner reflecting on their own performance and learning (perhaps obtaining feedback from peers or managers).

While you won’t be able to follow all aspects of this model in the course, you will notice how various activities you will undertake relate back to this model. Shortly you will plan an interview with Neale, i.e. you will be working on the P part of the PEACE model. The activity will be to make a plan of how you would approach interviewing Neale if you were the interviewing officer, or were working on the team with Sund and Bullet. However, first we will briefly introduce the idea of the legal caution, which must be given to all suspects at the start of their interview.