Criminal & Traffic Lawyers Sydney
Our National Criminal Lawyers® Sydney Office is an award-winning, leading specialist firm in the areas of criminal and traffic law. In particular, our team provides outstanding results for those facing charges of drink driving, and other traffic offences such as driving whilst disqualified or speeding. Leading the team is Principal Lawyer Mr Michael Moussa, winner of multiple awards in criminal law and traffic law. He is a renowned advocate in the legal sphere and offers his clients the best representation possible.
National Criminal Lawyers® Sydney have a wealth of knowledge in their specialised areas and provide a guarantee that your criminal law matter will be undertaken by a Senior Defence lawyer. It is our passion to defend your rights. We do this without judgment as we know people slip up or make mistakes. We go to great lengths to uphold the fundamental principles in our legal system: that everyone has the right to legal representation, and to a fair trial. It is highly important for the public to be informed about their position in terms of the law. It can be complex; there are circumstances in which you may be guilty in some moral respect, but not strictly considered guilty by the law. It is also very important that you get legal advice as soon as practicable to avoid a situation where the Police have taken advantage of this gap in knowledge you may have.
National Criminal Lawyers ® | Sydney
Office Address
Level 29
2 Chifley Square
Sydney NSW 2000
*by appointment only
Office Details
Telephone: 1800 CRIM LAW
Mobile: 0415 179 794
Fax: (02) 9891 1771
Email: info@nationalcriminallawyers.com.au
We are conveniently located in the Sydney CBD, close to King Street Courts, Woolloomooloo Police Station and Martin Place Train Station.
So, if you find yourself in a tough spot and you or anyone you know are under investigation or have been charged by police, please call National Criminal Lawyers® Sydney on 1800 CRIM LAW or 0415 179 794. Our mobile number is available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Alternatively, you can email us at info@nationalcriminallawyers.com.au
Traffic / Drink Driving Laywers
Our criminal, drink driving, and traffic lawyers in Sydney give our clients a unique offering: a tailored plan to suit their individual needs. We look closely at the case at hand and provide different options to our clients. We then give a professional opinion on what the best course of action would be, put that to the client, and then we move forward with a game plan based on client instructions. Our options are: to negotiate with the Police on your behalf with the goal of having charges withdrawn or amended to reflect a lesser charge. Another option is to plead not guilty and go to a full hearing or trial. This is where our criminal lawyers in Sydney really stand out in the legal world. Their advocacy skills serve to provide outstanding outcomes for our clients in a defended hearing, with most cases resulting in success. At National Criminal Lawyers® Sydney we are not intimidated by this process and will go forward to a trial with enthusiasm.
The next two options are to plead guilty: the first is a plea of guilty to the elements of the charge but disputing the facts. This involves a ‘disputed facts’ hearing, and the aim is to have the facts amended to reflect circumstances which would allow the charges to be dropped or changed to less severe charges. The second option regarding a plea of guilty is to plead guilty to the charges, and accept the facts provided by the Police. This is not a common occurrence but if this is necessary, we will use all our highly specialised expertise to ensure the best outcome for our clients in terms of receiving the lightest sentence possible.
Specifically, our criminal lawyers in Sydney offer the highest standard of representation where clients are facing the most serious charges. Anything from murder/manslaughter, drug offences, sexual assaults, common assault, assault causing actual bodily harm, to Federal offences such as using a carriage service to menace or harass, or cyber-crimes and even white-collar crimes such as fraud. With decades of experience and knowledge in these areas, we guarantee you are in the right hands when facing such a stressful time in your life.
Criminal Lawyers Sydney
When you need a criminal lawyer in Sydney, come to National Criminal Lawyers®. As an award-winning team of criminal defence specialists, we regularly help clients across all areas of criminal law. When you need traffic lawyers, Sydney residents rely on us, as do those seeking assistance for more serious criminal offences. Our tireless approach to securing our clients’ rights means you can navigate your way through this difficult time in your life, with a stronger chance of achieving a favourable outcome.
Read MoreFrequently Asked Questions
If a Police officer has placed you under arrest, they must follow procedures that are outlined in Part 8 of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW) (‘LEPRA’). These include informing you that you are under arrest and the reason for your arrest, and they must provide you with evidence that they are a police officer (unless in uniform), their name and place of duty. Before they can question you, they must caution you that you do not have to say or do anything but that anything you do say or do may be used in evidence against you later.
Police now have the power to fine and suspend your license immediately upon them finding that you have a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) of 0.050 to 0.079, for full license holders. A penalty notice can be issued for $561 and a 3-month suspension for the offence. It used to be the Local Court Magistrate who determined guilt or innocence in this situation.
An appeal against a fine and license suspension can be filed in a Local Court. The driver will remain suspended until their case appears before the Court and this could take weeks. The issue with appealing is that Court penalties are far greater than the original penalty notice which is issued. If the appeal fails, the maximum fine is $2,200 and the Court may implement a license disqualification for up to 6 months, with a minimum period of 3 months. This conviction will also be on your criminal record. However, if you pick the best traffic lawyers in Parramatta, they will try their best to get you a section 10(1)(a) dismissal or CRO (conditional release order) without conviction.
Conditional release orders replaced good behaviour bonds in 2018 as a sentencing option. An offender is subject to certain conditions for a set amount of time, the maximum being two years. If, in the prescribed time period, they are charged with any offences, they will have to face the Court for not only those charges, but also the charge(s) for which they received a CRO. When deciding whether to convict an offender and make a CRO, the Court has regard to the following: the person’s character, antecedents (criminal history), age, health and mental condition; whether the offence is of a trivial nature; the extenuating circumstances in which the offence was committed; and any other matter the Court thinks proper to consider. The Court has the option to record a conviction or not record a conviction, recording a conviction is a more serious sentencing option and reflects the gravity of the offence.
The fixed standard conditions are to not commit any offence and that you must appear before the Court if called on to do so at any time during the term of the CRO. Additional conditions can include one requiring the offender to participate in rehabilitation or receive treatment, or to abstain from alcohol or drugs or both, a non-association condition prohibiting associating with particular persons, a condition restricting where you can go, or limiting how often you can go to a particular place, or a supervision condition. The supervision condition is for offenders who were under 18 at the time the condition was imposed. They are supervised by a juvenile justice officer.
The Drug Court of NSW is a specialist Court that sits in Parramatta, Toronto and Sydney. It has been set up to offer offenders the opportunity to address underlying issues that have resulted in their criminal offending. You can apply to be referred to the Drug Court if you are dependent on a prohibited drug, have been charged with an offence other than one involving violent conduct or sexual assault, or a purely indictable offence (meaning cannot be dealt with summarily by the Local Court) under the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act (which includes supply), will be pleading guilty, and live in the council areas of Campbelltown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Bankstown, Penrith, Hawkesbury, Auburn, Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Holroyd or Parramatta. On referral you will be sent to a detox unit at the MRRC (Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre) for assessment. If admitted to the program, there will be a 12-month period of residential or non-residential treatment by abstinence or methadone/Naltrexone.