What are your Office Opening hours?

We open at 9:30am and close at 5:30pm, Monday to Friday. We do not open at weekends. The latest appointment is normally at 4.30pm, but later appointments may be possible if booked in advance. We are flexible and often meet at other mutually convenient locations in London, Surrey or Sussex. On special or private matters, we can meet at other facilities. We often meet our clients in the historic setting of our Central London chambers in the Temple EC4. Here we have the ability to conduct video conferencing. We have represented on cases as diverse as the Bradford Riots to South London murders. For police station emergency representation our advice service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 07973 80 37 27.

Is advice available by phone?

Please do not hesitate to call our team on 0844 2640 999, during office hours. Our support staff will be able to assist with your general enquiries. One of our lawyers should be  available to advise you as soon as possible, subject to police station emergencies and court appearances.

What aspects of law do you deal with?

We only deal with Criminal and Motoring law. We only defend and never prosecute! Please note that M23LAW are specialists in Criminal and Road Traffic law and as such we do not deal with family law (including divorce), bankruptcy, conveyancing, probate (including making a will), personal injury or Change of Name Deeds. We do have contact with other specialist firms of solicitors in these other areas of law, so please contact M23LAW on 0844 2640 999.

What are my rights at the police station?

If you are arrested you will be cautioned: “You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

M23LAW recommend that it might be in your best interests not to comment at all until our legal advice is given. Whether you are arrested or attend a police station voluntarily, you have the right to:

• Know why you have been arrested or the nature of the allegation.
• Consult the independent firm of M23LAW. Our Lawyers' details are on the National (DSCC) database, which can be accessed by all police stations and other agencies.
• Have someone told where you are, subject to certain exceptions.
• Have an experienced M23LAW representative advise and assist.
• Assist you if you have reading problems.
• Read a copy of the Codes of Practice.
• Have an appropriate adult present in interview (in addition to a solicitor), if you are under-17 or mentally fragile. 
• See a written note of these rights and those governing how you should be treated.
• M23LAW might request a specialist interpreter if there are language difficulties.

You cannot normally be held for more than 24 hours without being charged or released. If an indictable only offence is being investigated, a senior police officer may authorise your detention for a further 12 hours. This can be extended up to a total of 96 hours with the approval of a magistrates court (excluding terrorism cases). When investigating certain offences, the police can, with the approval of a senior officer, delay access to a solicitor on the grounds that talking to a solicitor might interfere with the evidence, alert other suspects or hinder the recovery of stolen property. Generally, our advice is that you should not discuss your case / sign any notes until you have received our informed advice. You will also be subject to a custody safety search and possibly a strip search in certain circumstances. A “Section 18.” search may be authorised, which might mean your home, workplace, vehicle or boat being searched.

Interviews under caution (Such as police interviews)

If the decision is made to interview you, our representative plays a key role. The investigating officer will give us a briefing, which we can use to advise you in private prior to interview. We will also advise on your continuing rights, explain the law and procedures and discuss your options. Our lawyers may also make representations on your behalf, such as the need for a medical examination, an appropriate adult or photographs of any injuries. You will then be interviewed under caution. The interview itself is always recorded, normally on tape, disc or digitally. Our representative should be present throughout the interview to ensure that everything is done fairly and within the rules. We may clarify and object to the officer's questions if necessary. It is also your right to stop the interview at any stage to seek further legal advice from our representative. We insist on consulting with our clients in private. Following interview, one of the following may happen to you:

	No further action (NFA): the matter is dropped due to lack of evidence
	Bailed to re-attend the police station at a later date to allow time for further enquiries, ID procedures or CPS advice / decision on charging. Conditions might be applied to your bail.
	Charged: you will be given a charge sheet, containing details of the offence of which you are charged. It will specify when and where you are due to appear in court and the conditions of your bail in the meantime.
	Formal caution / conditional caution (or reprimand / final warning for a  youth detainee under the age of 18). This is a strong warning from a senior police officer that you could have been charged and sent to court. It is often a last chance and court will be the next option if there is a further case. It can be given only if there is an admission of guilt and conditions might be applied in certain circumstances.
	Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) An example is a £80 FPN for a low-level public disturbance.

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What happens if I am charged?

If you are charged you will be given a charge sheet, which contains details of the offence. It will specify when and where you are due to appear in court and any conditions on your bail. The first step may be to complete and lodge an application for Legal Aid. If Legal Aid is granted, one of our representatives will be able to both prepare your case and representation in court with the backing of public funds and often entirely free. You may prefer to instruct us privately. See Private Options. Your first hearing will always be in a magistrates court (or a youth court for under-18's).The majority of minor offences are summary only. If such matters proceed to trial they are heard in front of three magistrates or a single lawyer judge called a District Judge.

Either way offences can be heard in either the magistrates court or the crown court depending on their seriousness or where the defendant elects to be tried. However indictable only offences would be transferred to a crown court after just one hearing in the magistrates court. If the case proceeds to trial it will be considered by up to 12 jurors (ordinary members of the public), presided over by a judge.

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Who are the CPS and what do they do?

The Crown Prosecution Service. They are lawyers and support staff based increasingly in police stations. They act on behalf of the State to advise on investigations and disposal outcomes. They will continue proceedings at court if appropriate and may be our opponents in any court case. The CPS have a duty to review any evidence and then consider the public interest. Also, they will decide on the exact charges to be preferred. We can make representations to them on behalf of our clients, such as to discontinue the case or dispose of the case in a way that is beneficial to our client. We can also successfully advance our client's interests, such as bail issues. Lately (and perhaps controversially), the CPS have been given more powers and more involvement in the  Justice system.

When will I get to see the prosecution eVIDENCE?

We are extremely experienced in pressing the prosecution to disclose the case at the earliest opportunity, in order that our clients might have the benefit of our advice in the light of this evidence. However, realistically a defendant may have to wait a few days, or in very serious / complex cases, some weeks to wait for full disclosure. It is an anomaly of the system that we have to wait longer on a serious case than on a minor shoplifting. As a rough guide, preliminary disclosure (called Advanced Information) is served at the first hearing in the youth or magistrates court. At a later stage there might be primary and secondary disclosure. We are adept at reviewing this material in great detail in order to see if there is an item that might benefit our client. Sometimes we have to transcribe the original interview tapes in order to check on their accuracy, as we often find mistakes.

How long will my criminal case take?

It is impossible to say precisely how long any case will last. Some courts take longer to set an effective hearing date than others. However, this table will give a general guide:

Jargon Buster

M23LAW believe in ensuring that all clients fully understand their situation, without being patronised. If you are ever unsure about the meaning of any legal terms or abbreviations, please ask! For now, our Jargon Buster quickly shows you the meaning of some common legal phrases: