 |
Drivers
acquitted of motoring charges will pay costs under a new
Government scheme
Could you afford to fight an unfair ticket? |
New regulations
set to come into force later this month will see motorists forced
to cough up court costs - even if they're found not guilty or
acquitted of motoring offences.
The Government-inspired change to the current set-up where drivers
get costs refunded if they're innocent is being implemented
to save cash, in spite of fierce opposition from legal and motoring
groups who were nominally 'consulted' before the new policy
was drawn up.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the age old principle
of 'the loser pays' has been costing the Government too much
money. As a result the new rules make it clear that in future
drivers will have to foot the bill for clearing their name.
According to The Taxpayers Alliance, that equates to 400,000
people, or one in four of those who challenge a ticket.
Now the Conservative party has joined the last ditch effort
to derail the changes, and campaigners are looking for more
signatories to a petition on the Number 10 website. We're off
to go and sign the petition ourselves, and you can find out
more by reading the press release below, that was issued by
the Association of Motor Offence Lawyers today. (20.10.09)
See the AMOL
press release. More |
Comment
on the petition
It would be hard to find out from all that has been said,
but actually this applies to all defendants, not just
motorists. Acquitted defendants have been able to recover
the costs they incur in defending themselves when they
are not eligible for legal aid. Solicitors charge private
clients rather more than legal aid rates, and that has
been recoverable. The Government is proposing to give
itself the power to limit the rates that can be recovered,
and it is expected that they will limit the amount to
legal aid rates.
Because legal aid rates are so low, many lawyers are dropping
out of legal aid work, and a niche area some have moved
into is motoring, following Mr Loophole (Nick Freeman)
and some other specialists who have been able to charge
very high fees for defending motorists. This explains
why the newly established organisation of motoring lawyers
- the Association of Motor Offence Lawyers or AMOL - is
so upset about this proposal!
The feeling of many motoring enthusiasts and others is
that those who have established their innocence should
not be out of pocket, and their reasonable costs incurred
should be recoverable. So you may wish to review the petition
on the Number 10 website and consider signing the petition.
|
|