Belinda Knight Solicitor aims to give excellent and professional legal representation for both private clients and those who qualify for legal aid. Please do review the testimonials page to see what previous clients have said about the practice.
A quality assured service – Specialist Quality Mark Certificate
The practice holds and retains the Specialist Quality Mark Certificate for provision of legal aid services. The Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) is a quality assurance standard designed for organisations who supply complex legal help and offer a full range of legal services, including representation in court (where necessary and permitted) by formally trained professionals.
Initial contact
Please do visit the contacts page when you are ready to contact the practice. The practice provides free representation at police stations.
When you contact the practice by phone, currently the calls are not recorded. We’ll record a summary of your call in our database. This helps us make sure we focus on the issues that matter most to you. We’ll keep this summary anonymous, unless you say otherwise. If you want to know more, or if you don’t want us to use your information in this way, please tell us.
The practice has embraced digital technology to ensure timely access to information remotely, taking on board digital court system and legal aid funding for client’s cases to be actioned twenty four hours a day, whether they are here in UK or abroad.
Privacy
We will not disclose any information you give to the practice. It is rare that your communications with the practice might not be covered by legal professional privilege. This means that the practice is not allowed to disclose certain confidential, legal communications to third parties – this includes courts, tribunals, regulatory bodies and enforcement agencies.
When it comes to your personal data, we always follow the terms in our privacy policy.
Getting the best results
Getting the best from us our advice is based on the information you give us, so please make sure you tell us what you want. The more accurate and relevant the information you give, the better the advice we are able to give.
The practice will try and settle disputes directly to help discontinue proceedings and you will always speak to the same lawyer to ensure continuity.
The practice will always confirm any advice in writing.
Building a strong team to work for you
The practice is able to deal with voluminous cases, and is able to build a strong team around any specific case, handpicked for your specific case, as required.
Belinda Knight was described by the QC she worked alongside in murder case as “assiduous, diligent, attentive, industrious and ultra-careful.”
National press and child protection
The practice has exercised sensible judgment for every case which has brought national news coverage and was involved in a change in the law when the practice partnered with the Just for Kids Law. This led to putting forward a case for Judicial Review, which changed the law and how young people are treated in police custody nationally. The High Court ruled in our favour, to prevent seventeen year olds being interviewed without an adult present in any police station. This led to The Home Secretary amending the Police and Criminal Evidence Act
Modern Slavery Act 2015
The practice aims be compliant with the UK’s Modern Slavery Act which came into force in October 2015.
Client Services
Belinda Knight Solicitor has experience of representing clients accused of a wide range of offences. These offences fall under the following main headings:-
- Damage to property
- Falsification, Forgery
- Fatal and Non-fatal offences against the person
- Fraud
- Offences Affecting Public Order
- Offences against the Administration of Justice
- Offences Related to Drugs
- Offences Relating to Weapons
- Prosecutions brought by these agencies
- Revenue, Customs and Social Security Offences
- Road Traffic Offences
- Sexual offences
- Terrorism
- Theft, handling stolen goods and related offences
For more details of the experience the practice has in each of these areas, please see below.
Damage to property
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of offences related to damage to property. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Arson
- Criminal damage
- Threats to damage property
Falsification, Forgery
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of falsification and forgery offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- False accounting
- Offences relating to identity documents
- Using a false instrument
Fatal and Non-fatal offences against the person
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of violent offences including those from a domestic violence background, for both men and women making referrals to support agencies if required. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Assault and battery
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
- Child abduction
- Grievous bodily harm
- Harassment
- Kidnapping
- Manslaughter
- Murder
- Neglect of children
- Offences against the police
- Wounding with intent
Fraud
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of fraud offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
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- Fraud by abuse of position
- Fraud by failing to disclose information
- Fraud by false representation
Offences Affecting Public Order
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of public order offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
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- Affray
- Drunk and disorderly
- Fear and provocation of violence
- Harassment, alarm or distress
- Offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006
- Offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991
- Offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991
- Racially aggravated offences
- Violent disorder
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Offences against the Administration of Justice
The practice deals with a spectrum of offences against the administration of justice. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
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- Breach of non-molestation orders
- Breach of restraining orders
- Perverting the course of justice
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Offences Related to Drugs
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of drug offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Cultivating plant of the Genus Cannabis
- Possession of controlled drugs
- Possession with intent to supply controlled drug
- Supplying controlled drugs
Offences Relating to Weapons
The practice deals with a spectrum of offences relating to weapons. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Firearms offences
- Having article with blade or point in public place
- Imitation firearms offences
- Making an explosive
- Possession of offensive weapon
Prosecutions brought by these agencies
The practice has successfully represented clients being prosecuted by the following agencies:-
- The Legal Aid Authority
- The Local Authority
- The Trading Standards Department
- RSPCA
- The Environment Agency
Revenue, Customs and Social Security Offences
The practice deals with a spectrum of revenue, customs and social security offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Department of Work & Pensions
- Customs & Excise
- Department of Work & Pensions
- Dishonest representation for obtaining benefit
- False representation for obtaining benefit
- Fraud in relation to tax credits
Road Traffic Offences
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of driving offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Being in charge of a vehicle when under influence of drink or drugs
- Careless driving
- Dangerous driving
- Driving otherwise in accordance with a licence
- Driving under influence with alcohol above prescribed limit
- Driving under influence with controlled drug above specified limit
- Driving whilst disqualified
- Failing to provide specimen
- Failing to report accident
- Failing to stop at scene of accident
More information on Road Traffic offences is available here
Sexual offences
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of sexual offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Assault by penetration
- Brothel associated offences
- Disclosing private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress
- Human trafficking
- Indecent photographs of children
- Outraging public decency
- Prostitution
- Sex offences against children
- Sexual assault
Terrorism
The practice has experience of dealing successfully with the following:-
- Counter-terrorism powers under the Terrorism Act 2000
- Investigative powers under the Terrorism Act 2000
- Substantive offences under the Terrorism Act 2000
Theft, handling stolen goods and related offences
The practice deals with the whole spectrum of theft related offences. The practice has successfully represented clients accused of:-
- Aggravated burglary
- Burglary
- Going equipped
- Handling stolen goods
- Hare coursing
- Money Laundering and criminal property
- Offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
- Robbery