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Criminal Law Help
Facing a criminal charge, a police interview, or an arrest — or worried someone you love is? Legal Hotline runs a free, 24/7 legal information line in five countries: Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. Call your country's line any hour and our AI legal assistant explains, in plain English, how the criminal law where you are actually works — what the charge means, what the police can and cannot do, what happens at court, and what your options are. It is legal information, not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. If you decide you want a lawyer, a fixed-fee consultation with a lawyer in your country can be booked right on the call.
The legal information service is free. Your phone provider may charge for the UK mobile call.
Free general legal information, 24/7. Lawyer consultations are separate paid services and depend on local availability.
Choose your country
Criminal law is different in every country — and often different again between states, provinces and nations inside a country. Pick where you are and you'll get the version of this page built for your law, your courts and your local hotline number:
- Criminal law in Australia — state and territory offences, Local and Magistrates Courts, bail, police powers.
- Criminal law in the United States — state-by-state guides for all 50 states, from arrest and arraignment to felony and misdemeanor charges.
- Criminal law in the United Kingdom — Magistrates' Courts and the Crown Court, PACE rights, the CPS.
- Criminal law in Canada — the federal Criminal Code, provincial courts, Charter rights, province-by-province guides.
- Criminal law in New Zealand — the Crimes Act, the District and High Courts, region-by-region guides.
What criminal law covers
Criminal law is the part of the legal system where the state prosecutes a person for an offence — anything from a driving matter or minor assault through to the most serious charges. Wherever you are, the same few questions decide most of what happens next: what exactly you've been charged with, what the prosecution has to prove, whether you'll be held or released while the case runs, which court will hear it, and what penalty range realistically applies. Those answers differ by country and by jurisdiction within it, which is why each country's page above goes deep on its own system.
How the free line helps
When you call, you talk to an AI legal assistant trained on the law of your country. You can ask as many questions as you like — what the charge means, what a police interview involves, whether to expect bail conditions, what happens at a first court date — and get clear, plain-English legal information immediately, at 3am on a Sunday if that's when you need it. We are not a law firm and the line does not give legal advice on your specific case; for that, a one-hour fixed-fee consultation with a lawyer in your country can be booked while you're on the call, with the price confirmed before you pay anything.
How It Works
1
Choose your country above and call its free line — 24/7, no appointment, no income test
2
Tell our AI legal assistant what's happening and ask as many questions as you like — it explains your country's criminal law in plain English
3
If you want a lawyer, book a fixed-fee consultation with a local criminal lawyer right on the call
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the criminal law information line really free?
Yes. Calling the line and speaking with the AI legal assistant is free in all five countries, with no time pressure and no limit on questions. You only ever pay if you choose to book a consultation with a lawyer — a fixed fee that is confirmed with you before any payment is taken.
Which countries does Legal Hotline cover for criminal law?
Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand — each with its own line and its own country-specific criminal law coverage, including state, provincial and regional differences inside each country.
Is this legal advice? Are you a law firm?
No. Legal Hotline is not a law firm. The line provides general legal information — how the law and courts in your country work — not legal advice about your specific case, and calling creates no lawyer-client relationship. If you need advice or representation, we can connect you with a qualified criminal lawyer in your country for a fixed-fee consultation.
I've just been arrested or asked to attend a police interview. Should I call?
Yes — that's exactly what the line is for. The assistant can explain your rights around arrest, questioning and bail in your country before you say anything you can't take back. If the matter is urgent, you can also book a consultation with a criminal lawyer on the same call.
Need legal help right now?
Choose the country whose law applies and call the local line for immediate general legal information.
The legal information service is free. Your phone provider may charge for the UK mobile call.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Lawyer consultation fees are shown before payment.
Last updated 25 August 2026