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Traffic & Criminal Law

A criminal record can have serious consequences, affect career opportunities, potential scholarships, and overseas travel. If you are involved in a criminal investigation or have been charged with an offence, we recommend getting immediate legal advice to ensure your rights and interests are protected.

We can assist with:

  • Drink driving and traffic offences
  • Drug offences
  • Assault matters
  • Arson, robbery, larceny, break and enter, theft, malicious damage
  • Intervention orders (including domestic violence orders)
  • Bail applications

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI)

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are major traffic offences.

There are multiple categories of drink driving offences based on the concentration of alcohol found in your system and the type of licence held by the driver. Each offence carries different penalties and suspension periods. All DUI offences prescribe an automatic minimum and maximum period of licence disqualification as well as monetary fines and, in the case of serious offences, imprisonment. More severe penalties apply if a person has a previous history of major traffic offences.

Bail Applications

If you have been arrested and charged with an offence, you might be released from custody on bail until your matter is heard by the court. Bail may be granted conditionally, meaning that you have to comply with a condition (such as a reporting obligation at a police station, a curfew, or an order that you do not enter a certain area until your matter is resolved).

If there are conditions on your bail that you think you will be unable to comply with, you can apply to the court to have a condition varied. It is important that you comply with your bail conditions. If you are found to breach a bail condition, you may be taken into custody until the hearing proceeds.

Preparing your case

Your attendance at court will likely be intimidating, so it is important that you are well prepared and can assist your lawyer in putting forward the best case on your behalf.

At your first meeting you should provide a copy of the complaint or information issued and any other relevant details. We will assess the charges made against you and consider whether there are any technical aspects of the charge that may be opposed.

We will ask you to recount your version of the facts and then consider whether there are any defences available. We will then be in a better position to take your instructions regarding how you will plead to the charges made against you. We will discuss the type of offence and applicable penalties at the highest and lowest end.

If a potential defence exists, we will explain the process involved and consider the additional evidence needed to defend the charges as well as any further documents (for example character references) that may assist in presenting submissions on your behalf.

We can help if you have been charged with a traffic or criminal offence. The way your matter proceeds will depend on the charges laid, the response to those charges, and the surrounding circumstances. We appreciate that this will be an anxious time for you and will provide sound advice, guidance, and advocacy on your behalf.

If you need assistance, contact one of our lawyers at [email protected] or call 08 8762 3600 for a no-obligation discussion and for expert legal advice.