Criminal Law

When your past is questioned, we’re here to help you clear your name. We have direct access barristers who specialise in historical sexual offence cases. Call or message us for a free case review – we’ll show you the way forward to getting the best possible result.

Proceeds of crime are the profits resulting from someone's involvement in crime. Money laundering is the process of ‘cleaning’ the proceeds of a crime, so that it looks like it came from a legitimate source.

If you’ve done nothing wrong, we can beat the case. The police and prosecution have to prove you had knowledge of tainted money. Money going into a bank account, cash being seized or trusting a friend does not necessarily mean you’re guilty. Our barristers take the time to understand what really happened, and use that information to fight your case as thoroughly as possible.

Our barristers can win drug cases even when the evidence seems strong. We cover all cases, including personal possession, supply, production and conspiracy. The main focus of any drug case is the evidence chain relating to drugs or (in serious cases) money. If your legal team can take away a single link, the court might not convict. Having a specialist barrister at an early stage can make the difference between being convicted and acquitted.

When you’re facing an allegation of criminal conduct or behaviour, it’s essential to get clear and transparent advice from a specialist legal professional. Our criminal defence team can represent both individuals and businesses.

We can get you immediate specialist legal advice and representation at every stage of the process – from attending police stations to representation in a Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court or Court of Appeal.

No matter what offence you’ve been accused of, we can help.

Being falsely accused of any type of sexual offence can be a very traumatic experience.

It can destroy your career, reputation, your family and ultimately lead to the loss of your liberty.

It is vital to get the right specialist representation at the earliest possible stage. Putting the best team in place and taking immediate, proactive steps such as gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses to counter the allegations and where appropriate, making representations to the Prosecution in advance of their decision to charge.

This may affect the decision to prosecute. We have a fast access to high quality experienced lawyers specialising in defending these types of allegations. We are available to you at times and locations to suit you.

Released Under Investigation?

If you’ve been Released Under Investigation then don’t delay.
speak to a specialist criminal defence barrister now on 0345 066 1920.

Released Under Investigation, or Released Pending Further Investigation, means you have been released from custody without charge and no obligation to return on bail to the police station for the offence for which you were questioned for. However, this means the investigation for this matter will continue.

There may be a need for an officer to speak to you again and you may even be arrested again. For certain matters, the police may contact you and make an appointment for you to go to the police station to have another interview.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the police should notify you of the outcome. This may be that you will receive a postal requisition or a summons to attend the Magistrates’ Court or a letter to say that no further action (NFA) will be taken in respect of the matter

If you have been released under investigation, unfortunately this is not the end of the matter.


The New Law – Policing and Crime Act 2017

On Monday 3rd April 2017, the Policing and Crime Act 2017 came into force.
This Act brings changes to the way the Police will deal with you if you have been arrested and there is further investigation required.
The key changes in the Policing and Crime Act are:
There is a presumption of release without bail unless the necessity and proportionality criteria are met.

Where these criteria are met a maximum 28 day period of pre-charge bail can be granted by an Inspector.

This period can be further extended to a period of three months by a Superintendent
An applicable bail period (ABP) will be set by the authorising officer and this is the window of time in which a custody officer may set and vary bail
The Applicable Bail Period can only be further extended by a Magistrates’ Court upon application by the police
There are longer time limits for cases designated as ‘exceptionally complex’ for example SFO investigations
Some frequently asked questions about "Released Under Investigation"
"I have been released under investigation, what does this mean?"

Your release from police custody is not subject to bail which means that at the present time there is no requirement to attend again at a police station. However, police enquiries and the investigation is still ongoing and it is possible that you may in be contacted by the police about this matter. In some instances, you may even be arrested again.

"If I am released under investigation, I am not subject to bail conditions am I?"
If you have been released under investigation in these circumstances, you will be given a Notice which tells you things which will be worrying such as: “Inappropriate contact with anyone linked to your case, either directly or indirectly, through a third party or social media, may constitute a criminal offence”. The notice will mention serious criminal offences of Witness Intimidation and tell you that you could face “up to 5 years in prison” or perverting the course of justice, in which case you could face up to “life imprisonment”. It is vitally important that you are aware of your rights and the procedures so that effective communication does take place and you know who you can speak with and who you cannot, so that you know when the case has been concluded. If you don’t know these things, you may end up committing a serious criminal offence.

"If contacted by the police, what should I do?"

You should contact us immediately. You can call us 24 hours a day on 020 3409 9977 and speak to a top criminal defence solicitor from our firm. Under no circumstances should you agree to speak to the police without having had legal advice. It is your right to have free and independent legal advice.

"How long will the investigation take?"

It is very difficult to say how long a police investigation will take. This will depend on the type of offence. We appreciate that this may worry you, and if you wish to speak to us at any time about your case, do not hesitate to get in touch. We can contact the officer in the case and make efforts to find out how long the police investigation will take.

"The police have seized my property, can I get this back?" If during the arrest and detention period you had items seized by the police, we are able to contact the police on your behalf in order to try have these returned. Usually, the police will leave a seizure note confirming what they have seized… sometimes they will not itemise everything so it is very important to note down as soon as you can what items appear to have been taken.
"What happens when the investigation ends?"

The police will either charge you with one of more offences, or alternatively write to you and formally notify you that the investigation has ended. Once again, in the event that there is any contact from the police, please notify us as soon as possible.

"I didn’t use you for my initial interview, what can I do now?"

If you did not have legal representation when you were interviewed or you wish to change representation, you can instruct public access barrister to act for you from hereon.

"Can I travel if released under investigation?"

The short answer is yes. If you wish to travel out of the country there is no restriction on this. However, should the Police wish to speak to you again you may not be available and this may delay matters for you. Also, if you are abroad for a long period, you may not receive the postal requisition or summons if Court proceedings are initiated against you. If this happens, you could be arrested at the airport on your return. This can be avoided by simply alerting the Police that you intend to travel. We recommend you instruct a solicitor and let them communicate with the Police on your behalf. For further details, pick up the phone and CALL 0345 066 1920