Criminal Law

Please contact us as soon as possible to let us know what time and date you are to appear at Court. If suitable, we will arrange an initial meeting with you at our office to discuss the matter. The sooner we know the better prepared you – and we – will be. Do not leave it until the last minute to contact us.

Some cases can only ever be dealt with at the Magistrates’ Court.  Equally, some very serious offences can only ever be dealt with at the Crown Court.  There are a large number of offences which fall between these two extremes and which could be dealt with at either Court.  These are called “either way” offences.  The Magistrates’ can decide to allocate either way cases to the Crown Court but, where the Magistrates say that they are happy to deal with the case themselves, you can still choose to have your case sent to the Crown Court.  We can advise you about the advantages and disadvantages of either course.

Please contact us immediately to give us the details of your scheduled Court appearance.  We can give you some initial advice and arrange a meeting at our office if suitable and make the necessary arrangements to represent you at Court.

Confiscation Proceedings can be brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 or in some circumstances via the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and Drugs Trafficking Act 1994.

The provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) are extremely powerful and can have tragic consequences, not just for defendants, but also very often for their spouses, business partners, parents and children.

The initial stages of the confiscation procedure will start following a conviction for a relevant offence, such as money laundering, fraud and drug offences.

Prior to the Court making a Confiscation Order, a great deal of work must be undertaken to minimise the damage to your assets.

Prior to a Confiscation Order being made, various statements will need to be filed. To develop the most robust case, extensive evidence usually needs to be obtained and detailed statements need to be prepared.

The state has never had such wide-ranging and formidable powers to tackle the proceeds of crime, both pre and post-conviction. In many cases, defendants face a confiscation or restraint order when a prosecution is highly unlikely.

Without expert advice, defendants are at a real risk of an order based upon “hidden assets” that may not even exist. We act for defendants and third parties in these matters. Our solicitors also have extensive experienced acting on matters involving the Serious Fraud Office, as well as the CPS.

We believe it is absolutely vital for clients to seek expert professional advice at the earliest stage, as it can have a hugely beneficial effect on the ultimate outcome of a case. Should you find yourself facing Confiscation Proceedings, please do contact us to discuss the matter urgently.

The Serious Fraud Office investigates only the largest and most complex allegations of Fraud. As a result, it routinely operates on the boundaries of the existing criminal law and often its prosecutions break new ground in the field.

As the principal regulator dealing with complex business crime, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has specialist powers under the Criminal Justice Act 1987 to investigate and prosecute serious and complex fraud.

Cases are vetted by the SFO to establish if they meet certain criteria. These include the value of the alleged loss, whether the case has a significant international dimension, and whether highly specialist knowledge is required to investigate and prosecute. Where the SFO does not take on a particular case, specialist police fraud squads, the National Crime Agency, or the Crown Prosecution Service may also become involved.

It is important to obtain expert legal advice as early as possible. It is in the investigation stage where the attitudes of the investigators are yet to crystalise that important questions might be resolved in favour of the suspect and the shape of the overall investigation influenced to their advantage. That SFO investigations can have a novel or complicated factual background can be an advantage; such cases exist in the “grey areas” of the law, as yet undeveloped and this often provides the defence with the opportunity to argue that the conduct complained of is insufficient to constitute a criminal offence.

The nature of the SFO’s work ensures that it has been given additional, wide ranging investigative powers. This in turn requires specialist knowledge on the part of defence solicitors. We have been involved in a number of significant SFO investigations over recent years, can assist you with all aspects of such a case. Should you find yourself the target of an SFO investigation, please do contact us at your earliest convenience.