GUIDE • POLICE INVESTIGATION TIMELINE

Police Investigation Timeline: From Interview to Charge

A criminal investigation can move through several different stages after interview. This timeline explains the usual decision points: release, pre-charge bail or RUI, further enquiries, police or CPS charging decisions, no further action and charge — and where defence work can matter before the next stage.

Interviewed but not charged?Released under investigation?

SOLICITOR REVIEWED · Reviewed by Paris Theodorou, Principal Solicitor at Theodorous • Christodoulos Ltd • SRA 809508 • Last reviewed 24 September 2026

THE TIMELINE AT A GLANCE

There is no single fixed timetable from interview to outcome

Some cases end quickly. Others require digital downloads, CCTV, statements, expert evidence, financial analysis or CPS advice and can take much longer. The important point is to know which legal status you are under, what the next decision is and whether relevant defence evidence should be preserved or raised before that decision.

1Interview under cautionThe suspect gives an account, exercises the right to silence or follows another advised interview strategy. The interview becomes part of the evidential record.

2Release statusThe immediate outcome may be pre-charge bail, release under investigation, no further action or another lawful disposal depending on the case.

3Further enquiriesPolice may obtain statements, CCTV, phone material, medical or financial records, forensic results, expert evidence and other material pointing towards or away from the suspect.

4Charging decisionThe police or CPS, depending on the case, assess the evidence and applicable charging framework. Further work may still be requested before a final decision.

STAGE 2 • PRE-CHARGE BAIL

Pre-charge bail has statutory time limits and review points

Under the current regime introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, the initial applicable bail period in a standard case is ordinarily three months. Bail can be with or without conditions. Extensions require the statutory criteria and the appropriate level of authorisation, with judicial oversight applying at later stages.

Keep the paperwork and every dateRecord the bail return date, conditions, any variation, extension notice and contact from the officer in the case. If a condition is causing a serious practical problem, legal advice may be needed on whether variation can properly be sought.

Read our pre-charge bail guidance →

STAGE 2 • RELEASED UNDER INVESTIGATION

RUI keeps the investigation open without bail conditions or a return date

Release under investigation is not the same as no further action. You are not on pre-charge bail and RUI itself carries no bail conditions or fixed return date, but the investigation remains live. College of Policing guidance says RUI cases should still be supervised and suspects should be kept informed of progress.

No bail conditionsRUI itself does not impose the conditions that can accompany pre-charge bail.

Investigation continuesPolice may still gather evidence, contact witnesses, examine devices and later make or seek a charging decision.

No fixed bail return dateThat can make progress feel less visible, so keeping a chronology of contact and developments matters.

Released under investigation advice →

STAGE 3 • FURTHER ENQUIRIES

The investigation phase is where evidence is gathered, preserved and tested

Police may obtain witness statements, CCTV, phone downloads, medical evidence, financial records, social-media material, forensic results or expert evidence. Investigators are required to pursue reasonable lines of enquiry that point towards or away from a suspect. This is also the stage at which defence evidence can disappear if it is not preserved promptly.

Preserve evidenceSave messages, video, photographs, documents, receipts, location records and other material before it is deleted, overwritten or becomes harder to obtain.

Identify witnessesRecord names and why a witness matters. Avoid coaching, pressuring or discussing the evidence in a way that could create another issue.

Assess representationsWhere appropriate, a solicitor can consider whether focused pre-charge representations or formal pre-charge engagement may help.

Pre-Charge Representations →Pre-Charge Engagement explained

STAGE 4 • CHARGING DECISION

The next question is whether the evidential and public-interest tests are met

Depending on the offence and circumstances, the police may make the charging decision or refer the case to the CPS. Under the Full Code Test, prosecutors consider whether there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and, if so, whether prosecution is required in the public interest. The likely defence is part of the evidential assessment.

Not every case is decided in exactly the same wayResponsibility for charge depends on the offence and circumstances, and the Threshold Test can apply in defined situations. The important practical question is who currently holds the decision and whether relevant defence material can still be considered before it is finalised.

STAGE 5 • NFA, OTHER DISPOSAL OR CHARGE

The pre-charge investigation ends with a decision, not always a prosecution

Possible outcomes include no further action, an out-of-court disposal where legally available, further investigation, or charge. If charged, the case moves into the court process and the defence focus changes to disclosure, bail, plea and case preparation. A charge is an allegation, not a finding of guilt.

Magistrates' Court Crown Court Criminal Legal Aid

WHAT TO TRACK

Seven dates and documents that tell you where the case actually is

1. Keep every custody, interview, bail and release document.2. Write down the allegation, interview date, officer and police reference.3. Preserve relevant digital and documentary evidence without altering it.4. Record any bail conditions or next date exactly.5. Keep a chronology of police contact and requests.6. Do not contact complainants or witnesses contrary to bail conditions or in a way that could be viewed as interference.7. If there is material capable of affecting the case, obtain advice on whether and when it should be put forward.

SOURCES & REVIEW

Current official guidance

Reviewed 24 September 2026. This timeline uses the Home Office pre-charge bail statutory guidance, College of Policing investigation guidance, the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the Attorney General's Guidelines on Disclosure. It is a general map of the process, not a prediction of how long an individual case will take.

Pre-charge bail statutory guidance Code for Crown Prosecutors College of Policing investigation process

INTERVIEW OVER. INVESTIGATION OPEN.Find out whether there is useful defence work to do before the charging decision.

Request a pre-charge case review