Clarity Law

Whenever someone is charged in a Court it is usual practice that a conviction will be recorded on the person’s criminal or traffic history, depending which one the charge related to.

Once a person is 17 years of age any convictions on their traffic or criminal history will stay on record for up to 10 years. Each State has their own records for what charges occurred in that particular State but they can be provided to other States when requested by a Police force or a Court. You may need a copy of your criminal record to apply for a job, work as a volunteer, work with children, apply for insurance or to get an overseas visa.

Although it can be difficult, it is possible to convince the Magistrates not to record a conviction if there are reasonable grounds to support the request. These need to be good reasons such as –

• You will lose your job due to the nature of your occupation the organisation whom you work for;
• If it is a criminal charge – that you wish to travel or apply for the Navy etc
• It is your first offence

If no conviction is recorded you do not need to disclose to anyone that you have been charged with that offence (except if disclosure is required by law for example applying to work with children). If, for example, an employer does a search a non-conviction will not show up on a criminal history, however, the Police and Courts will always be able to see the charge and the fact that no conviction was recorded.

We have had success in obtaining no convictions recorded, even when they were charged with quite serious offences. Here are some examples  –

1. A client was charged with a large drug offence and owned a car importing business, bringing in cars from America. A conviction would be restricted his ability to travel to America and also to import vehicles to the Country, resulting in him losing his ability to earn an income and keep his business.

2. A client was charged with common assault. Due to the fact that he was a school bus driver the recording of a criminal charge would have meant to he would have lost his job.

3. A client from overseas, who is now an Australia Citizen, was charged with a drug charge. A conviction could have prevented him from being able to travel overseas to see his family.

4. A young client was in the process of applying to the Army and was charged with drink driving. A conviction could have interfered with this application.

If you are charged with any traffic offence (excluding dangerous driving which is a criminal charge) it will only be recorded on your traffic history the same as a speeding fine would be. It is not recorded  on your criminal history. It is generally only criminal history which can effect overseas travel but some countries may require more information from you if you have traffic charges recorded.  

Here at Clarity Law we almost every day appear in the Courts with clients, many of which are seeking that no conviction be recorded. It is this experience that allows us to get the absolute best result for clients.  Other law firms simply don’t have the experience that we do and don’t know the Magistrates like we do.  We also offer the most competitive prices for representation in Queensland click here to see what we will charge. 

If you want to engage us or just need further information or advice then call us on 1300 952 255 seven days a week, 7am to 7pm or visit our website at www.claritylaw.com.au 

Providing written character references for the Magistrate to consider during sentencing may help to ensure a person gets a more lenient outcome.

The purpose of obtaining character references is to provide to the Court evidence about the person’s character and their attitude towards the offence, including how committing and pleading guilty to the offence has impacted upon them. This evidence assists the Court in determining the appropriate penalty.

A Court reference is not a general reference but rather a guide to the Court about a person’s character from someone who can attest to this. The referee needs to make clear to the Court;     

1. How they know the person
2. Why the person is of good character
3. How the offence has impacted on the person
4. Their views on whether the person would commit a similar crime again

The referee should generally have known the person for a substantial period of time and have a good insight into a person’s character.  While a reference from a Doctor or well established person often carries a lot of weight, references from friends, family or employers can still be quite valuable, especially given that they can often provide the best insight to the person’s character.

It should be noted that the referee must be aware of the offence. It is of no value if they do not mention in the reference that they are aware of the offence and have discussed it with the person. While it is often embarrassing to have to admit the nature of the charges to someone it is essential to ensure the reference carries weight before the court.  A referee could not be expected to be able to judge a person’s remorse and the impact a charge has had without knowing the exact charges.

Generally a reference should include

• The referee’s name, address and phone number
• An explanation of how they know the person, for how long and what their relationship to the person is
• The fact that the referee is aware of the offence and has discussed it with the person
• The referee’s opinion, based on the relationship, of the person’s character, the impact of the offence on the person and whether the person has changed in any way after the offence
• Any issues specific to the referee (e.g. an employer may to comment on the effect that a conviction and/or any loss of licence will have upon the person’s continuing employment status)
• Whether the referee thinks the person is likely to re-offend
• Anything else the referee considers appropriate

Referees are not required to attend the Court and will not receive a response from the Court about how the reference was treated. It is important to note once a reference is tended in open Court then it becomes a public document and can be seen by member of the general public if they choose to search the Court file.

It is important to remember that references are not essential, but they certainly can assist in ensuring you obtain the absolute best possible outcome for your circumstances.

If you want to engage us or just need further information then you can either;

1. Visit www.claritylaw.com.au
2. Use our contact form
3. Call us on 1300 952 255 seven days a week, 7am to 7pm

There are different stages and circumstances in which the Police may request that you partake in a record of interview or provide them with a statement. This article is for people who may be charged with an offence and the Police have asked you to participate in an interview. This may occur before you are charged or after you have been charged with an offence.

Whilst it is an offence not to provide Police with your full name, address, date of birth and identification, you are not obliged to participate in an interview or provide a statement. It is an offence to provide incorrect personal details to the Police or to resist arrest. If you do either of these things when you are being arrested or charged, you may end up with additional charges.  

You have every right to refuse to participate or provide information. We strongly urge all clients to consider not to participate in a record of interview until all facts and circumstances are known. There is often little benefit to you in participating in an interview or providing a statement, and it can often only benefit the Police. This is due to the fact that, as the saying goes, anything you say can and will be used against you in a Court of Law.