A criminal conviction can have a devastating impact on a person’s life and the people around them. When committed as a minor under the age of 18, a criminal offence can affect job prospects, career choices and even chances of further education. A criminal record needs to be declared almost everywhere and can sever family ties and friendships, ruin financial status, damage social reputation, have detrimental effects on mental health and overall well-being and lead to further crime in the future. To avoid the severity of such situations it is important to contact an experienced criminal solicitor at the first instance of being accused of any criminal offence.
What constitutes a criminal offence and what is the role of a criminal solicitor?
A criminal offence is described as an unlawful act which has been prohibited in the UK and is harmful to an individual or to society. Criminal offences usually involve antisocial and violent behaviour and can range from theft and armed robbery to sexual offences, assault, manslaughter and murder. Whether the client is guilty of their charges or whether they have been falsely accused of a crime they did not commit, a criminal solicitor will deal with the case sensitively and professionally and provide the experience, knowledge and expertise to help achieve a positive outcome wherever possible with the client’s best interests in mind at all times. Depending on the nature of the offence, penalties and sentencing can be very severe. The knowledge, strategies and expertise of a solicitor can have substantial influence over how the investigation process unfolds, including the ultimate decision on whether the police decide to press charges against the client or not. Without the presence of an experienced solicitor the legalities and the processes and procedures which are involved in dealing with criminal offences can very quickly become complicated and can lead to the client implicating themselves further due to confusion, frustration and by falling victim to the tactics used by the legal authorities to gain information which they can later use in court. A criminal solicitor will assist with the legal processes and against the law enforcement agencies by using proven strategies to help either establish the innocence of the client or reduce the penalties as much as possible. Without the professional advice of the solicitor, the legal processes involved in criminal offences are extremely difficult to understand as laws and regulations are changing rapidly and will only be known to those trained and practising regularly in the field.
The solicitor has experience in dealing with many different types of criminal offences and will collate information and evidence to present a strong defence in all cases. Violent crime such as manslaughter and murder are two of the offences which constitute homicide and are dealt with very seriously including a minimum term of imprisonment. After having fixed a minimum term, the court considers other factors which increase the sentencing further therefore it is vital that in these situations professional legal attention is sought out immediately and that a criminal solicitor is present from the onset to minimise such sentencing and help reduce the devastating impact it can have on life.
