Editing Right to silence (section)

{{Short description|Right to refuse to answer questions}}
{{Redirect|Right to remain silent|other uses|You Have the Right to Remain Silent (disambiguation){{!}}You Have the Right to Remain Silent}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
The '''right to silence''' is a legal principle which guarantees any individual the right to refuse to [[confession (law)|answer questions]] from law enforcement officers or court officials. It is a legal right recognized, explicitly or by convention, in many of the world's legal systems.

The right covers a number of issues centered on the right of the accused or the defendant to refuse to comment or provide an answer when questioned, either prior to or during legal proceedings in a court of law. This can be the right to avoid [[self-incrimination]] or the right to remain silent when questioned. The right may include the provision that adverse inferences cannot be made by the judge or jury regarding the refusal by a [[defendant]] to answer questions before or during a trial, hearing or any other legal proceeding. This right constitutes only a small part of the defendant's rights as a whole.

The origin of the right to silence is attributed to Sir [[Edward Coke]]'s challenge to the [[ecclesiastical court]]s and their ''ex officio'' oath. In the late 17th century, it became established in the law of England as a reaction to the excesses of the royal inquisitions in these courts. In the United States, informing suspects of their right to remain silent and of the consequences for giving up that right forms a key part of the [[Miranda warning]].