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Direct access Barrister | Criminal, Motoring & Regulatory Law
Can Parkguard Ltd (Islington Operation Nightsafe) Patrolmen use handcuffs?
Does anybody else find it troubling that Islington Council Parkguard Nightsafe patrols are running around with handcuffs? Do people actually want private company contractors depriving people of of their liberty? How did we get to the stage where people who aren't...
DPP v Barreto: the mobile phone loophole you’ve been looking for?
DPP v Barreto: the mobile phone loophole you've been looking for? Up until now, most people caught by police with a mobile phone in their hands like this gentleman would find themselves in the frame for Driving a Motor Vehicle While Using a Hand-held Mobile Telephone,...
How to get your Magistrates Court trial adjourned
Will the magistrates give me an adjournment? Think getting your case adjourned to another date is going to be easy? Clearly, you've never been to the Magistrates Court before, and you're not familiar with the terms, "speedy summary justice" or "cracked trial"....
How the system prevents you getting the most out of your barrister
Here's what's stopping you getting the most out of your barrister It's 0800 and I'm at the Stratford Magistrates Court to prosecute traffic cases - and there's a trainee ("pupil") barrister here who does not know if she is prosecuting or defending - all she knows is...
The single biggest mistake people make at the police station
What's the single biggest mistake people make at the police station? You've been arrested - or "invited" to come to the police station for an interview. You're in a mess and don't want to make it bigger. In fact, the sooner you can get out of the police station with...
Is this Bust Card worth the paper it’s written on?
Should I trust what's written on a bust card? You're at the climate change march and the atmosphere's getting a little fresh. Someone's shoved a police officer and now the cops are rounding up people in the immediate area. You've done nothing wrong, but PC Joe is...
Should I go No Comment at my police interview?
Sometimes people ask me if they should "go no comment" in their police interviews. The big problem with this question is that they're trying to figure it out for themselves, rather than asking asking the police station rep who has seen the police evidence. And the...
Should I accept a simple police caution?
All the wrong reasons for accepting a simple police caution Most people at the police station want to get the experience over with as soon as possible. They turn down the free legal advice and accept simple police cautions because they're scared of being charged with...
No left turns on Mare Street
Let's me start by saying: The following is not legal advice. I have no idea whether any particular person should appeal their PCN or not. The following is offered for information purposes only. I've been following the Hackney Gazette's reporting that 6,596 fines were...
HMOs, Leaseholders & Estate Agents at Magistrates Courts
I've been busy advising landlords on HMO liability over the past month. Some were looking for "quick" advice. While I am known for turning round work fast - "quick" is another matter. "Quick" implies, "off the top of your head, what's the answer?" Whether a person has...
