Motoring Offences in the Magistrates

Speeding - It is seldom you can do much about the evidence that is usually brought by the police to prove this offence, but there are sometimes ways in which you can seek to minimise the effect of the crime. If the Magistrates are provided with a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the offence, then they may be persuaded to take a more lenient view of the appropriate punishment.

No insurance - carries a hefty penalty - but insurers can sometimes be lax in sending out papers - how can you prove that you really had insurance at the time you were stopped?

Disqualification due to totting up - If you can demonstrate to the Magistrates why you need to keep your licence, they will always be prepared to listen and give consideration. Knowing which particular buttons to press also helps!

Over the prescribed limit - A most serious offence which the Magistrates don't like at all. But it is not always clear as to whether the police correctly followed their procedures.

Driving without due care and attention - understanding what constitutes the offence and how you might seek to argue against it particularly important if the police are prosecuting you as a result of a road traffic accident. Your personal injury claim could be dependent on the outcome.

Costs - In the Magistrates Court, I cannot hope to be paid by the other side and criminal legal aid doesn't always cover the defendant in respect of some motoring offences. Therefore to deal with mitigation of sentence I charge a flat fee of £200 plus a mileage allowance. For defending a case, I would need to know more about the matter before I could give you a proper quote.

For all your queries about the Magistrates Courts - just Ask Giles!