Drunk Driving; New Developments
Driving under the influence of drugs is an offence under the Road Traffic Act, with similar penalties to drink driving. However, there are no defined limits or levels of drugs, in the same way as drink in drink driving. That is set to change soon, on 2nd March 2015, in…
Bribery Act
The spectre of the Bribery Act casts its long shadow over the business landscape, with the news that oil company agents allegedly paid bribes to officials. The company in the firing line was exploring opportunities and feasibility studies, and attracted the attention of undercover investigators who filmed the alleged bribes….
Corporate Manslaughter
Corporate Manslaughter is a relatively new offence to come in to effect under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 which came in to force in April 2008. There have now been several cases and it is certainly something that business owners and directors should be acutely aware of,…
Drink drive/ ‘in charge’
There is an important distinction between excess alcohol whilst driving, and excess alcohol whilst “in charge” of a vehicle. The distinction becomes clear when looking at the sentencing guidelines. The emphasis in the guidelines when it is a case of “in charge” is on imposing penalty points rather than disqualifying….
Drink driving – sentencing guidelines
When you search the Internet for legal representation, there is a natural tendency to opt for someone local, especially when you are looking for quality representation by a solicitor or barrister in and around Surrey. The Internet is crowded by portals, organised by large companies who in turn pass the…
Special Reasons in Drink Drive cases
When a client asks for representation for a drink drive charge, the process that the lawyer goes through can be quite complex. This blog is going to focus on the term ‘special reasons’. The first issue to determine is whether the client is guilty of the alleged offence; there are…
Drink drive offences
Drink/driving offence Excess alcohol (driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle). Contrary to Road Traffic Act 1988, s.5.1(1)(a). This offence is triable summarily, which means that the hearing can only take place at the Magistrates’ Court. I usually attend the following Magistrates’ Courts to represent drivers charged with drink…
Early Intervention in Criminal Proceedings: How to save time and money and get excellent results
I save my clients considerable amounts of money and avoid the perils of a criminal trial by early intervention in the criminal process. I am a new breed of English lawyer. For large firms of solicitors with no criminal department, I can mean the difference between saving a client’s liberty…
Drink Drive
I attended the Aldershot Magistrates’ Court today, representing a client charged with a second drink drive offence within three years. He faced serious consequences, and needed to be properly represented; that is why he came to me. I don’t accept instructions under the legal aid system, and will not be…
Hackney Carriage Licensing Sub-Committee Appeal
A Hackney Carriage Licence holder was wise enough to instruct me to represent him at his appeal against the revocation of his Hackney Carriage Licence. The hearing involved a trial of the issues that led to his licence revocation and then presentation of witnesses on behalf of the appellant licence…