Expert Motoring Offence Solicitors

Our Motoring Defence Services

As a firm with extensive experience with road traffic laws, we have deep expertise across the entire spectrum of motoring offences. We provide clear guidance and formidable representation, whether you are facing penalty points or a potential prison sentence. Our specialists handle cases including:

Speeding Offences

Allegations of speeding range from minor breaches to high-speed cases that attract automatic disqualification. We are expert speeding offence solicitors who scrutinise the evidence, from the calibration of the speed detection device to the correct issuance of the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP). We can often challenge the evidence or, where a guilty plea is appropriate, present powerful mitigation to minimise the penalty.

Drink Driving and Drug Driving

A conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs carries a mandatory minimum 12-month driving ban. Our drink driving defence and drug driving solicitors are experts in the complex procedures governed by the Road Traffic Act 1988. We meticulously examine every stage of the process, from the initial stop and roadside test to the police station procedure and the analysis of blood, urine, or breath samples. Defences can arise from procedural errors, faulty equipment, or specific medical circumstances.

Careless and Dangerous Driving

The distinction between careless driving (driving below the standard of a competent and careful driver) and dangerous driving (driving far below that standard) is significant, with penalties ranging from fines and points to imprisonment. We challenge the prosecution's interpretation of your driving, using evidence from dashcams, witnesses, and accident reconstruction experts to build a strong defence.

Using a Mobile Phone While Driving

The law is strict: touching a mobile phone for almost any interactive purpose while driving is an offence. Since the 2022 changes to the Road Traffic Act 1988, the rules are even tighter. If you are accused of a mobile phone driving offence, we can explore available defences, such as proving you were not using the device for an interactive function or that you were safely parked.

Failing to Provide a Specimen

This is a serious offence, often carrying penalties equivalent to a drink or drug driving conviction. The police must follow strict procedures when requesting a specimen of breath, blood, or urine. A charge for fail to provide specimen can often be defended if there was a "reasonable excuse," such as a medical condition (e.g., asthma) or a genuine phobia. We have extensive experience in successfully advancing these arguments.

Driving Without Insurance or a Licence

These are "strict liability" offences, meaning the prosecution does not need to prove you intended to commit them. However, a conviction for driving without insurance can often be avoided by raising a "special reasons" argument, such as being misled into believing you were insured. We can help you navigate these complex legal arguments to avoid the standard six to eight penalty points.

Failing to Name the Driver (s.172 RTA 1988)

A registered keeper who receives a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) has a legal duty under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to identify the driver at the time of an alleged offence. Failure to do so carries six penalty points and a substantial fine. We can advise you on your legal obligations and assist in cases where you genuinely do not know who was driving or did not receive the notice.

Special Reasons and Exceptional Hardship Applications

• Special Reasons: If you plead guilty to an offence, we can present a "special reasons" argument to persuade the court not to endorse your licence with penalty points or impose a disqualification. This requires showing that the circumstances of the offence were mitigating, such as driving in a genuine emergency.
• Exceptional Hardship: If you face a "totting up" ban after accumulating 12 or more penalty points, our exceptional hardship specialists can argue that a disqualification would cause disproportionate suffering to you or others who depend on you. A successful argument can prevent a ban or have it significantly reduced.

FEES FOR DEFENCE AGAINST MOTORING OFFENCES

This estimate is for assistance in relation to summary only motoring offences in the Magistrates’ Court only under Part I of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and s89 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (excess speed offences). Please note that there will be two elements to the prices as set out below for Magistrates’ Court cases:

• Fees charged by CCL; and
• Fees payable to third parties.

Although we can identify the key issues in your case from the outset, we will only have a rough idea of what work and court attendances may be involved in your case once we have an initial discussion. To assist you, we can confirm that when dealing with summary offences in the Magistrates’ Court our services can be summarised through the following two options based on a case where physical attendance is required or is not:

Note: This does not include: Crown Court cases, Court of Appeal or High Court cases.

FEES CHARGED BY CENTRAL CHAMBERS LAW

If you have been accused of committing a motoring offence, you may be concerned about how you are going to cover the cost of your defence. We understand that facing a motoring prosecution can be a life-changing experience, which is why we try to make the process as straightforward as possible by clearly laying out what you will be expected to pay and providing transparency.

We have provided some information below to assist you and be transparent on our costs for summary offences in the Magistrates Court. These fall into two types of cases: cases without representation and cases with representation by an advocate at Court. For a no-obligation discussion about the likely fees in connection with your case, please contact us on 0203 620 2288.

• Option 1: cases where physical representation at court is not required - guilty plea cases – our service in these cases involves no attendance by an advocate at Court. Including the advice, preparation and written representations to the Court, our fixed fees start from as little as £600.00 including VAT (at 20%) and range up to £1800.00 including VAT (at 20%).
  *Please note the range of fixed fees starting at £600.00 including VAT (at 20%) to £1800.00 including VAT at 20% will be dependent on the lawyer dealing with your case (ranging from £216.00 per hour including VAT at 20% for a Solicitor to £480.00 per hour including VAT at 20% for a Partner/Consultant) and the complexity. Examples of factors that alter the complexity are: type of offence; number of offences on one summons; any previous convictions; evidence required before corresponding with court and whether you have undertaken any legal responses before to the Court before entering a plea. The fixed cost will be made clear to you once we have discussed your case in detail and whether it is to proceed by way of a guilty plea.
• Option 2: cases where physical representation at Court for one hearing is required for a guilty plea or not guilty plea – our service in these cases involves attendance at one court hearing. Including the advice, preparation and physical representation by an advocate at Court whether that be a special reasons hearing, exceptional hardship or trial, our fixed fees start from as little as £1,200.00 including VAT at 20% and range up to £4,200.00 including VAT at 20% per hearing*.
  *Please note the range of fixed fees starting at £1,200.00 including VAT at 20% to £4,200.00 Including VAT at 20% will be dependent on the lawyer dealing with your case (ranging from £216.00 per hour including VAT at 20% for a Solicitor to £480.00 per hour including VAT at 20% for a Partner/Consultant) and the complexity. Examples of factors that alter the complexity are: type of offence; number of offences on one summons; any previous convictions; evidence required before corresponding with court and whether you have undertaken any legal responses before to the Court before entering a plea. The fixed cost will be made clear to you once we have discussed your case in detail and whether it is to proceed by way of a guilty plea.

ADDITIONAL FEES CHARGED BY CENTRAL CHAMBERS LAW

• Electronic ID Check Individual - £20 plus VAT (£24 including VAT)

FEES PAYABLE TO THIRD PARTIES (DISBURSEMENTS)

Please note that the fixed fees for legal representation at Court do not include third party disbursements, which may be required in certain cases. Third party disbursements are expenses that we incur on your behalf and examples include: expert reports, whether that be a forensic scientist, collision investigator, psychologist or psychiatrist (approximately £60.00 including VAT at 20% per hour - £360.00 including VAT at 20% per hour); expert attendance at court (approximately £60.00 including VAT at 20% per hour - £360.00 including VAT at 20% per hour); barrister’s costs (advice or attendance at Court £60.00 including VAT at 20% per hour- £360.00 including VAT at 20% per hour). Where we anticipate that any disbursements or additional fees may be payable, we will let you know as soon as possible.

DEFENCE COSTS ORDERS

If you are acquitted, or the prosecution decides to discontinue the proceedings, you may be entitled to recover a proportion of your legal costs from the court’s central funds. For this service a fee will be applicable and will cover the drafting, compiling and submission of the Defence Costs Application to the National Taxing Team. The fees for this will be based on two hours’ work at an hourly rate between £432.00 including VAT at 20% - £840.00 including VAT at 20% dependent on the lawyer dealing with your case.

OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU AND SERVICE INFORMATION

Our priority is to keep you happy and to keep you on the road; to some clients minimising the level of their legal costs is as important as achieving their objective of securing an acquittal or limiting the penalty.

We aim to provide you with a high level of dedicated service and expert input at a reasonable and sensible price. To achieve this aim, we GUARANTEE the following:

• Guaranteed supervision of your case by a specialist motoring lawyer; and
• Guaranteed preparation of your case from inception to conclusion without any hidden charges and with a clear outline of our charges at the outset, which can be on an agreed fixed fee basis on the two options above (attendance or no attendance).

What’s Included and Key Stages

The key parts to your case will be before a plea is entered, case management (in the event of a not guilty plea or guilty plea special reasons) and then the trial or sentence date (including special reasons). This will include the below requirements (where applicable on plea).

Please note that our service to you includes the following:

• considering prosecution evidence;
• taking your instructions (on the phone or in-person if location permits);
• providing advice on the plea and likely sentence, options available at court in relation to sentencing or trial issues (including case management information) where a not guilty plea is advised;
• drafting witness statements;
• Drafting instructions to experts (where required);
• explaining the court procedure so that you are aware of what to expect at court;

We will also conduct any further preparatory work required, obtain further instructions from you if necessary and answer any follow-up queries you have. In addition, after the hearing we will discuss with you whether you can appeal the conviction and sentence.

SERVICES EXCLUDED

We do not submit appeal notices or apply to suspend your disqualification or revocation on your behalf. This would incur an additional fee.

TIMESCALES

In relation to timescales for cases to be heard in the Magistrates’ Court this can vary from Police force to Police force and court to court. Considering this we cannot give you a time and date your hearing will be considered. However, we will make enquiries with the court to give an approximate date the matter may be heard. If we are to attend court, the fee will cover the hearing until resolved on that date.

Why Choose Our Firm?

Unrivalled Specialist Expertise

Unlike general criminal defence firms, we do nothing but motoring law. This exclusive focus means we are true motoring law specialists, with an intricate understanding of the statutes, case law, and technical procedures that can make the difference between winning and losing.

A Proven Track Record of Success

Our reputation is built on results. We have successfully defended thousands of drivers, from arguing exceptional hardship to avoid a totting up ban, to having drink driving cases dismissed on technical grounds. Our clients consistently praise our diligence, strategic thinking, and dedication.

A Personal, Partner-Led Service

You will have direct access to the solicitor handling your case. We believe in clear, proactive communication, providing updates in plain English, not legal jargon. We respond to queries swiftly because we know how important your case is.

Completely Transparent Pricing

We provide fixed fees wherever possible and detailed estimates for all work. Our fee agreements are clear and comprehensive, ensuring there are no hidden charges or unwelcome surprises.

Nationwide Coverage & Emergency Response

We represent clients in Magistrates' Courts and Crown Courts across England and Wales. We also operate an emergency contact line for urgent matters like arrests or short-notice court dates.

THE MOTORING OFFENCES SOLICITORS AT CENTRAL CHAMBERS LAW

GHULAM HUMAYUN
Having immersed himself in IT support and Operations for several years, Ghulam embarked on a transformative journey, transitioning to the realm of law. A journey, which began in 2003. Since then, Ghulam's professional focus has been primarily dedicated to the intricate domain of criminal defence. Within this realm, he has adeptly navigated a diverse spectrum of offences, ranging from the complexities of multi-million-pound drugs importation to the gravity of conspiracy to supply firearms, the intricacies of money laundering, the nuances of HMRC VAT fraud, as well as a multitude of serious violence offences.

Notably, Ghulam's breadth of experience extends beyond the defence table. He has wielded his legal acumen as a prosecution agent for Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). This dual perspective has endowed Ghulam with a profound insight into the inner workings of the legal process, from the inception of an alleged offence to the culmination of a trial.

Throughout his career, Ghulam has recognised the pivotal significance of issues surrounding disclosure and police investigations, or their absence, which often constitute overlooked facets of the prosecution process. Armed with an astute eye for detail, Ghulam possesses a remarkable ability to discern the subtle yet critical nuances within a case, which can often change the entire trajectory of a case.

GHULAM ALI
Ghulam Ali is a Solicitor Advocate specialising in criminal law. He has been working in the field of criminal law, in various capacities, since 2007. He was admitted to the roll as a Solicitor Advocate in 2020 after which he became accredited with the Law Society Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme (CLAS) certification.

Since 2007 he has built up a broad range of experience in providing legal advice and representation to clients charged with offences ranging from theft to homicide. Over the last few years, as a higher courts advocate, he regularly undertakes advocacy in all types of hearings in the crown court and the court of appeal.

As higher courts advocate, he has appeared in the crown court representing clients at hearings ranging from mentions, PTPH, committals for sentence, appeals and trials. In his capacity as an advocate, he has conducted crown court trials of defendant’s charged with varying offences such as burglary, robbery, possession of firearms with intent, possession with intent to supply drugs and varying levels of assaults etc.

He has extensive experience and specialist expertise and knowledge of motoring/road traffic law offences. Having dealt with many cases in this area he has a proven track record of successful outcomes. He regularly represents clients, at court, in motoring cases advancing arguments such as special reasons as to why points should not be imposed on a client’s licence despite them being guilty of the offence and making exceptional hardship arguments as to why a court should allow a client to keep their licence despite totting up to 12 points. He also represents clients in motoring appeals against conviction and sentence to the crown court.

He has received excellent feedback from court legal advisers and the judiciary, on his dedication and professionalism, when conducting advocacy at court. He has received comments such as “a cut above”, a reliable and safe pair of hands”, “a pleasure to work with”, “his submissions were impeccable” amongst other positive comments. He was recently described by a client as being “passionate” about their case.

Recent Developments in Motoring Law

The landscape of motoring law is constantly evolving. Our commitment to this specialism means we are always ahead of the latest changes, using them to our clients' advantage.

• Mobile Phone Laws: The 2022 amendments to s.41D of the Road Traffic Act 1988 closed loopholes, making it an offence to touch a device for almost any reason. We provide up-to-the-minute advice on what this means for drivers and what defences remain.
• Drug Driving Evidence: The reliability of roadside drug tests and forensic blood analysis remains a key battleground. We are experienced in instructing toxicologists to challenge prosecution evidence and procedures, often leading to cases being dropped.
• Sentencing Guidelines: We closely monitor shifts in sentencing guidelines for offences like high-range speeding, ensuring our mitigation arguments are perfectly tailored to the current judicial climate.

Practical Guidance for Clients:

• Preserve Evidence: If you have dashcam footage, secure it immediately. Note down your recollection of events as soon as possible.
• Respond to Notices: Never ignore a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) or a request to identify a driver (s.172 notice). The penalties for failing to respond are severe. Seek legal advice before replying.
• Medical Defences: If you believe a medical condition contributed to an offence (e.g., preventing you from providing a breath sample), tell your solicitor immediately and gather any relevant medical records.

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