Perverting the Course of Justice Solicitors

Perverting the Course of Justice (Perverting the Course of Public Justice) is a very serious criminal offence, and one which a suspect or Defendant should seek expert legal advice and representation as soon as possible. If you have recently been interviewed at the Police Station or charged with Perverting the Course of Justice, call our specialist Criminal Defence Solicitors on 03308189837 or complete our Contact Form for a no obligation telephone call with one of our legal specialists.

What is Perverting the Course of Justice?

It is a Criminal Offence which includes several different types of conduct such as:

• Reporting a false allegation to the Police;
• Providing inaccurate information to the Police;
• Enabling a potential Defendant to evade arrest or commit further offences;
• Misleading the Court;
• Witness Intimidation

The offence is ‘indictable only’ which means that if you have been Charge, you will firstly be given a date to appear before the Magistrates’ Court where it will then be sent to the Crown Court. If a person pleads guilty or is convicted of perverting the course of justice the Court can impose a sentence of life imprisonment and or a fine however, this will depend upon the specific circumstances of the offence and whether a person pleads guilty, or is found guilty after trial.

Elements of Perverting the Course of Justice

The offence is committed if an accused:

• does an act or series of acts;
• which has or have a tendency to pervert; and
• which is or are intended to pervert;
• the course of public justice.

Examples

This offence can be committed in numerous different ways however, common examples include reporting an incident to the police which did not happen or in a motoring offence context, providing the details of someone other than the person driving the vehicle at the relevant time.

How many years in prison does a person receive for Perverting the Course of Justice?

The length of a prison sentence imposed by a Court will depend on the specifics of the case however, the Sentencing Guidelines recommend a prison sentence between four and thirty-six months, the maximum possible sentence would be life imprisonment and/or a fine.

Can you avoid a prison sentence for Perverting the Course of Justice?

Seeking and securing specialist legal advice and representation at an early stage will substantially enhance your chances of avoiding a prison sentence. Our lawyers will firstly identify if there is scope to defend the case and will fight to win, which can result in a not guilty verdict and no sentence. If we advise that the best possible option is to plead guilty, then our lawyers will mitigate and encourage the Court to impose a suspended sentence, which if granted would avoid having to go to prison.

Funding a Criminal Prosecution

If you are facing a criminal investigation or prosecution, you should seek out the very best lawyers to defend your case, so that you have the best chance of a successful outcome. Our solicitors and barristers are highly experienced and recognised nationally for successfully defending a significant number of high-profile criminal prosecutions throughout England and Wales.

As a specialist private funded criminal defence law firm, we represent clients that are in a financial position to fund their cases privately, as a result our clients do not qualify for Public Funding (Legal Aid) and for that reason we do not undertake any work on Legal Aid.

Our Private Legal Defence Lawyers accept new cases on a Fixed Fee basis, ensuring that our clients know exactly how much their case will cost from the outset.

Private legal representation is not only reserved for the wealthy, many of our clients are ordinary people that require a robust defence team to provide them with the best chance of protecting their reputation and career. If you require more information on the cost of defending your case, speak to one of our solicitors for a free no obligation fee estimate.

Advantages of Paying Privately for a Specialist Criminal Defence Lawyer

1. Expertise: There are very limited number of law firms throughout the country that only accept criminal cases on a private fee-paying basis, these lawyers will usually only accept such cases because they possess superior legal knowledge and expertise.
2. Communication: Paying for legal representation privately will usually result in better and more frequent communication with your Solicitor and Barrister. Lawyers paid privately will usually respond to e-mails and phone calls quickly.
3. Preparation: The amount of time a lawyer spends preparing a case and considering the evidence will have an impact upon the result. Paying privately will ensure that the lawyer can spend enough time on case preparation, which will have a positive impact on the overall outcome of the case. We prepare thoroughly for each case.
4. Service: Clients that instruct lawyers via private funds will receive a substantially better service than those using legal aid.   
5. Quality: The overall quality of legal representation from private client solicitors is significantly superior.
6. Consistency: We provide all our clients with consistency and continuity, the lawyer dealing with your case will be the same person from start to finish.