Pre-charge representation
At Jericho Law we specialise in providing pre-charge representation for our clients. Whatever allegations you face, our aim is to prevent you from being charged.
Whether you require representation in a police interview or you have already been interviewed and are awaiting a decision, Jericho Law can help.
What you can do
Contacting us early may enable us to prevent an arrest entirely. In some cases we are able to speak with the police and negotiate a voluntary interview. This will avoid the need for unnecessary detention and the taking of your biometric data (eg DNA, fingerprints and photographs). This would also avoid the imposition of any stringent bail conditions. The early stages of an investigation are arguably the most crucial to the eventual outcome of the case. Engaging the services of Jericho Law early could make the difference between you being charged with a criminal offence and no further action being taken.
How we can help
At Jericho Law we do not simply sit back and wait for the prosecution to decide whether or not to charge you with a criminal offence. Instead we start gathering evidence to support your case straight away.
We are regularly contacted by clients after their initial arrest and interview. Often they will not have had a solicitor present with them in interview; or they were represented by the duty solicitor who they have subsequently not been able to contact. Often clients are told by their duty solicitor that they must ‘wait and see’ what the police decide to do. It is at this stage that clients contact Jericho Law to ask if there is anything we can do to help. The answer is yes!
Following your release from police custody you will either be released on bail or ‘under investigation’. If you are released on bail you may have bail conditions attached which can be quite onerous. We will review the conditions with you and if necessary make an application to the police/courts to have the conditions varied or removed entirely.
We will work tirelessly with you to secure any evidence available to help support your defence. We will also direct the police towards any additional lines of enquiry which may assist your case, for example, by casting doubt over your alleged involvement.
In more complex and serious cases it is quite common for the police to interview you more than once. Often the first interview is to obtain an 'initial' account and once they have obtained further evidence, the police will invite you in for further questioning. Even if Jericho Law did not represent you in the first interview, we are able to provide crucial advice and representation in any subsequent police interviews.
In most cases that we deal with the police will not make the final decision on charge. This decision will be made by a reviewing lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service. Once the police have completed their investigation they will submit a file of evidence to the CPS for review. The reviewing lawyer will apply the 'Code for Crown Prosecutors' and decide whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a 'realistic prospect of conviction' and whether it is in the 'public interest' to prosecute the matter.
It is at this stage that we will submit our own file of evidence to the CPS including detailed representations asserting the reasons why we believe the prosecution case fails. Our representations will question the strength of the prosecution case such as; Can their evidence be used in court? Is their evidence reliable? Are their witnesses credible? We will also look at what statutory defences may be available to you and present evidence in support of this.
Where applicable, we will also present arguments that a prosecution is not required in the public interest. For example, in some cases a prosecutor may feel that public interest can be met by offering an out of court disposal.
Why Jericho Law?
Our team has significant expertise in providing pre-charge representation. Tim Baker's previous experience of working with the Crown Prosecution Service and providing charging advice to the police gives us a unique insight into the charging process and the ‘Code for Crown Prosecutors.’ This knowledge allows us to tailor our pre-charge representations accordingly to provide the best chance of success for our clients. Tim also formally held a senior position within a criminal defence firm who specialise in providing pre-charge representation to high-net worth individuals and celebrities.
At Jericho Law we also work closely with a number of specialist counsel. John Briant is a particular specialist at police station and pre-charge representation. Tim Baker and John Briant have enjoyed a close working relationship over a number of years. John Briant is a qualified Criminal Barrister who also has over 25 years experience as a police station representative. He has represented over 15,000 clients during interrogations by all investigative agencies (e.g. police, NCA, HMRC, Scotland Yard specialist directorates, DWP, Revenue and Customs, DVSA) for allegations such as murder, terrorism, sexual offences and high value fraud.
Click here to view John and Tim's profiles for more information.
Here are some recent examples of pre-charge cases that we have worked on:
List of services
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Rape Allegation - No Further ActionList Item 1
We were instructed to provide pre-charge representation on behalf of our client who was under investigation for Rape. Having taken detailed instructions from our client it became apparent there were significant lines of enquiry which we were able to pursue, including speaking with and taking a statement from a key witness. This evidence significantly undermined the allegation that had been made against our client and cast doubt over the credibility of the complainant. We put a bundle of evidence together with representations which we submitted to the police asserting that their case failed on evidential grounds. After a review of this material the police took no further action against our client.
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Grievous Bodily Harm - No Further ActionList Item 2
We were instructed by our client to provide pre-charge representation in relation to an allegation of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent. Our client had already been interviewed about his involvement in the incident and had been advised by the duty solicitor to answer 'no comment' to all questions. We carefully analysed the evidence in the case and took our client's instructions regarding his involvement. We decided that it was in our client's best interests to request a further interview with the police in order to advance his defence. We did this by way of a detailed prepared statement. Having put forward his version of events the police decided to take no further action against our client.
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Coercive And Controlling Behaviour / Domestic Assault Investigation - No Further ActionList Item 4
We were instructed by our client to provide pre-charge representation in relation to allegations of domestic assault occasioning actual bodily harm along with further historic assaults and coercive and controlling behaviour. We took detailed instructions from our client about the relationship and identified witnesses who could corroborate our client’s account that the complainant was in fact the controlling and manipulative party in the relationship. We obtained several witness statements which significantly undermined the credibility of the complainant. We presented these to the police alongside written representations that the prosecution case did not pass the evidential stage. A decision of no further action was taken against the client.
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Historic Sexual Abuse - No Further Action
We were instructed to provide pre-charge representation on behalf of our client who was under investigation for historic sexual offences against a family member. We arranged a voluntary interview and obtained disclosure from the police in advance. We took instructions from our client who highlighted some significant concerns regarding the complainant’s mental health and recent psychiatric treatment. We drafted a prepared statement putting forward our client’s denials and defence. We followed this up with representations to the police highlighting our concerns regarding the reliability of their evidence. No further action was taken against our client.
Get in touch
Jericho Law offers a unique and highly experienced pre-charge representation service. For more information, please complete the form below or call us on: