Appeals and Miscarriages of Justice

Our outstanding criminal defence lawyers are experienced in helping to guide clients through the options before them and advising on the best course to take.  Our criminal law team includes specialist solicitors and police station advisers.  

Our reputation is based on over 75 years of providing the highest quality advice and representation to our clients: protecting their rights and interests, holding the police to account and striving to get the best result.

While we have faith in the criminal justice system we recognise that it is fallible.  To be convicted of an offence or otherwise be the subject of any adverse finding is hurtful and frustrating.  We recognise the irreparable damage to your reputation that this can cause.  We will advise you clearly and honestly about the merits of the decision and identify where and how it is susceptible to challenge.  We will support you in making a pragmatic decision about what to do to reinstate your reputation.

There is more than one way to challenge a decision.  Each has its own considerations, timescales, advantages and disadvantages.  While timescales are usually fixed, you can apply outside these timescales if you have a sufficiently good reason for the delay.  No matter how old the decision is, it is worth asking for advice if the issue is important to you.

We will look carefully at every aspect of the decision that has been made.  Where appropriate, we will undertake fresh investigations to substantiate your account.  We will identify and discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of your case.  Our intention is to ensure that the strengths are presented clearly and, where possible, to strengthen or mitigate the factors that contributed to the previous adverse decision.

In managing and protecting your reputation we work with our expert reputation management team to assist us in dealing with adverse publicity or challenges.  Our criminal defence practitioners work closely with our Public law team who are experts in challenging decisions made by public bodies.