Criminal Law

What we offer

Recognised by Chambers 2012, a leading independent guide to the UK legal profession who say “the lawyers are impressive and the work is consistently high quality”. Our specialist team of criminal defence lawyers can advise and represent you on all areas of Criminal Law, including:

• Serious crime (including homicide, drug trafficking and gun crime)
• Sexual offences and internet pornography
• Specialist fraud
• Parole applications and prison discipline issues
• Youth crime
• Public order offences
• Disciplinary proceedings
• Wrongful arrest and police harassment
• Professional Regulation

Our solicitors and barristers have specialist experience in defending individuals accused of homicide, terrorism, fraud and drug related crimes. They are also expert in protected witness cases, extradition, prison law and anti-social behaviour orders.

Youth Crime

We have a specialist team which provides advice and representation for young people in police station, youth and adult magistrates’ court, Crown Court and on appeal. Our work involves the whole range of youth offending from joy riding, graffiti, street robbery to serious sexual offences, firearms, drug dealing and murder.

Our experienced team is led by Mark Ashford who is acknowledged as one of the foremost youth crime lawyers in the country. He is the co-author of a legal textbook on defending young people accused of crime and he regularly trains other lawyers on youth court law and practice.

Our team regularly help young people who are under arrest in police stations across London and beyond. We represent young people in the youth courts at Thames, Stratford, Highbury, Highgate and Enfield where lawyers in the team are often duty solicitors. Our Crown Court work covers courts across London, including trials at the Old Bailey, as well as serious cases further afield.

We have a specialist interest in defending young people who have a learning difficulty, mental disorder (eg. autistm, ADHD) or a mental illness and we have strong links with specialist mental health professionals who we can call upon to help achieve the best result.

We can also help young people with:

• anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
• parole applications
• prison discipline and adjudications
• secure accommodation applications
• police harassment
• wrongful arrests and assaults by the police

We work closely with our colleagues who can help with legal problems involving being in care or homelessness.

Specialist Fraud

We have been members of the specialist fraud panel since its creation. We have specialist lawyers representing those individuals and companies accused of serious fraud or other serious professional impropriety. Expertise has been developed over many years in some of the highest profile and widest ranging investigations conducted by bodies such as the Serious Fraud Office, Department of Trade & Industry, H.M. Revenue & Customs (formerly known as H.M. Customs & Excise and the Inland Revenue) and the Financial Services Authority.

The department has played a significant role in defending individuals in some of the best known yet unsuccessful prosecutions by H.M. Customs & Excise in both alcohol and computer chip markets. We acted for a main defendant in the first London City Bond appeal at the Court of Appeal and in the subsequent retrial and joined abuse of process hearing at Liverpool Crown Court. We acted for a main defendant in Operation Vitric an H.M. Customs & Excise investigation into a missing trader carousel fraud involving computer chips with an alleged loss to the Revenue of over £100,000,000 which concluded with the proceedings being stayed at Blackfriars Crown Court. We acted for an individual who was not charged as part of the BAE enquiry.

Professional Regulation

The department has in depth experience of representing other solicitors, accountants, company directors, doctors and teachers including heads who face accusations such as breaches of professional conduct rules, financial impropriety, corporate manslaughter or general crime.

Crown Court Advocacy

Not only are we able to offer you the full range of barristers who work independently in Chambers but we have a strong in-house team of advocates, both barristers and solicitors who can present your case. A decision on who is to represent you in the Crown Court is one we should make together. We need to match the needs of your case with the skills of the chosen advocate.

T V Edwards has a long standing policy of encouraging its solicitors to obtain higher court rights of audience and we now have 15 higher court advocates regularly conducting hearings in the crown court and court of appeal. Five of them are experienced trial advocates in the crown court.

Our team of experts

TV Edwards LLP Criminal Law department has a national reputation for its leading crime work, and offers an emergency service, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Our unique combination of skill and expertise means that we deliver the best service at every level, from the police station to the higher courts.

The department is headed by Anthony Edwards, a well-known leader in the field of criminal defence work. Anthony’s outstanding achievements in criminal law were recognised when he was awarded the prestigious ‘Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year’ in 2008.

Anthony has substantial experience of acting in protected witness cases, including the largest case in recent years. His main aim is to achieve the best possible result for his clients, and he works tirelessly to both defend his clients and to treat them with compassion throughout.

How we work

For us, the client is always the most important member of their legal team. We will help you to decide the level of seniority of lawyer working on your case, and will help to determine when and how you discuss your case with them.

We are a friendly, accessible team, who simply care about getting the best possible result for you. We will use clear language in all our dealings with you. We will do all that we can to put you at ease in what can often be very stressful circumstances.

“They worked tirelessly on my case. No stone was left unturned. I’m delighted with the result my legal team got me. I’ve got my life back.” – client cleared after being wrongly accused of a serious offence