Right to silence

The right to silence is an institution that provides assurance that the person cannot be forced to blame himself in criminal proceedings against him. The right to silence, in its narrow sense, allows the person not to answer the questions asked to him. In a broad sense, the right to silence allows the person not to answer the questions asked and not to present any evidence against him. In this study, the right to silence was evaluated not only as a criminal procedure institution, but as a human right and was examined from a broad perspective. This study aims to point out the historical development of the right to remain silent, to compile the arguments stated within the literature regarding the scope and limitations of the right to remain silent and the consequences of its violation, and to put forward prospects on the right to remain silent in different legal systems and its reflections in Turkish Law.