Now it costs you even if you're innocent...

Nos4r2 · 18 September 2009, 18:42

This is unbelievable! Up to now, if you challenged a prosecution for a motoring offence and won, you could claim your legal costs back off the government. Not from next month: from next month, you'll only be able to claim back legal aid rates, whatever you actually paid!

Quote:

Drivers should pay up even if they go to court and win say ministers.

Drivers who challenge motoring prosecutions should be made to pay their legal bills even if they win their case, ministers have said. The proposal would see successful defendants lose their century-old right to claim back their costs.

A change in the law would affect many of the 1.7million drivers a year who take their cases to court. Ministers are proposing that defendants lose their century-old right to claim back their legal costs.

It costs around £1,500 to fight charges of speeding, illegal parking and other motoring offences and this cost would not be fully reimbursed even if a driver was found innocent of all charges.

Peter Roberts CEO of the Drivers' Alliance said "it is fundamentally wrong for the state to financially penalise innocent drivers who are simply seeking justice against a faulty conviction".

Jeanette Miller, of Geoffrey Miller, a leading motoring law firm has raised a petition on the Downing Street website and the Drivers' Alliance urges everyone to sign it. If the principle of innocent until proven guilty is to be upheld in this country then it is imperative people who win a court case are not financially disadvantaged for defending themselves.

You can sign the petition at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/CostsRecovery/

Yes I know, "another bloody petition, what good will it do blah, blah...." it takes all of two minutes to sign it and the more they get, the higher they can raise the issue's profile, maybe even to the point of getting the media involved, so if you agree, PLEASE just sign it! What have you got to lose by not signing it? Well about £1500 even if you're in the right......

JSP · 18 September 2009, 18:57

Done

Neil Harvey · 18 September 2009, 19:17

madness... done

SOLENTER · 18 September 2009, 20:01

You can here them jack boots a comein
Done

Steve_B · 18 September 2009, 20:08

Too right I've signed. I had the miss fortune to challenge a speeding ticket, the stress of the fight was bad enough, but not getting your costs back ....
I won, because the Police had failed in 8 out of 10 tests they should have done on the equipment.

codprawn · 18 September 2009, 21:17

When ever I raise points like this some self righteous git will chime in with - "you shouldn't speed" and "you do the crime you do the time" etc etc.

The main dual carriageway out of Swansea used to have a 70mph limit - now it's 50mph - even worse there has been a temporary 40mph limit for about 10 weeks for road works that never took place. They have now taken away all the temp 40mph signs EXCEPT for a very short stretch where the Police lurk.......

SIGNED!!!

JSP · 18 September 2009, 21:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by codprawn

When ever I raise points like this some self righteous git will chime in with - "you shouldn't speed" and "you do the crime you do the time" etc etc.

The main dual carriageway out of Swansea used to have a 70mph limit - now it's 50mph - even worse there has been a temporary 40mph limit for about 10 weeks for road works that never took place. They have now taken away all the temp 40mph signs EXCEPT for a very short stretch where the Police lurk.......

SIGNED!!!

You should know your local speed limits codders.

Nos4r2 · 18 September 2009, 21:22

It's easy to miss signs these days-specially since Gloucestershire councils don't seem to have cut the hedges round a lot of them this year rendering them completely invisible.

HUMBER P4VWL · 18 September 2009, 21:27

I'd like to point out your statement says you can still claim legal aid level costs back if you win. So the general public will get costs back if they win with a normal barrister. They are trying to avoid paying astronomical costs back when people hire the specialist barristers who charge tens of thousands to get them off on technicalities. (celebrities generally) why should the tax payer pay refunds back to rich people just because they can afford the law benders in the first place! They only win as they have more time and money than the police!
I'm all for compensating fair costs for injustices but I don't pay tax to get the famously guilty off!!!!

codprawn · 18 September 2009, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

I'd like to point out your statement says you can still claim legal aid level costs back if you win. So the general public will get costs back if they win with a normal barrister. They are trying to avoid paying astronomical costs back when people hire the specialist barristers who charge tens of thousands to get them off on technicalities. (celebrities generally) why should the tax payer pay refunds back to rich people just because they can afford the law benders in the first place! They only win as they have more time and money than the police!
I'm all for compensating fair costs for injustices but I don't pay tax to get the famously guilty off!!!!

Yes you do - Labour cabinet ministers seem to get away with everything - and they use treasury accountants that WE pay for to do their tax returns so THEY can save money!!!