HOW APPROPRIATE ARE APPROPRIATE ADULTS

This article examines the ambiguous role of the 'appropriate adult' wi thin the criminal justice system and questions whether it actually rep resents a safeguard that protects vulnerable suspects. The paper will focus on the many problems associated with carrying out the role in ac cordance with current guidelines in relation to both juvenile and ment ally vulnerable adult suspects. The main problems include the vaguenes s of the role, the lack of identification, and the absence of any form al system to implement the safeguard, together with crucial difficulti es in relation to issues of confidentiality and independence.