General Crime Drug Offence Solicitors
There are an enormously wide range of drug related circumstances that could lead to an investigation or prosecution. As a result, there are an array of criminal offences that relate to illegal drugs in the UK. UK drugs offences include:
- Possession Of Controlled Drugs
- Supplying And Importing Drugs
- Production Or Manufacturing Of Classified Drugs
All these offences must be taken seriously and require careful consideration and advice from a Specialist Lawyer.
Our team is on hand to provide advice on the entire range of circumstances.
We’re widely acknowledged as amongst the UK’s best Criminal Defence Lawyers. Our Criminal Defence Team consists of a wide range of Lawyers who are extremely experienced in every possible type of Criminal Defence of a drugs case, ranging from the simpler possession of drugs matters, to the most complex and serious drug importations ever prosecuted in the UK.
Our Crime team have been ranked in the Chambers & Partners 2024 legal directory. The team was described as “extremely strong in terms of criminal defence and particularly protest cases” and were praised for their “dedication to clients”.
“Hodge Jones & Allen are possibly the best firm of criminal solicitors conducting publicly funded work, and also offer an excellent service to privately funded clients. They have a large team that has continually prospered through recruiting excellent trainees and investing in people.” – Legal 500, 2024
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What Are The Different Types Of Drug Offences?
There are numerous drug related offences that are open to an investigating or prosecuting agency to consider. The most relevant law relating to this is The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. This is the source of most drugs related offences in the UK. The offences include:
Possession Of Controlled Drugs
It is an offence to be in possession controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Depending upon the type of drug, the penalty for possessing drugs for your own use is often a fine. However, any conviction can have important consequences.
The order of the classification reflects the perception of seriousness and harm that each class of drug can cause. The types of substances that are banned under this act fall into three distinct categories:
- Class A Drugs, which includes cocaine, ecstasy and heroin
- Class B drugs, which includes amphetamines, cannabis and ketamine
- Class C drugs, which includes steroids and khat
Supplying Or Importing Drugs
Supplying drugs, or even possessing drugs with the intention to supply, are serious offences and can result in long prison terms. Even supplying to your friends for no profit (sometimes called social supply) is an offence and can mean that you are at risk of prison. It is even more serious if you are accused of supplying drugs to make money, as this will impact the type of sentence that the court can impose.
Other drug offences
Drug offences can also include the production, manufacturing, cultivating or producing of those drugs. For example, our Lawyers have represented those accused of owning or controlling cannabis farms or allowing their premises to be used for these purposes.
Why Choose Hodge Jones & Allen?
Our reputation is based on decades of representing those accused of drug offences. Our Lawyers make sure that they deal with the individual circumstances of each case to achieve the best outcome possible. We achieve those results by scrutinising the different types of police or prosecutions actions, making them accountable and ensuring that they observe the rules and act in a fair way.
We can check that drug analysis has been properly carried out and all police operations have been properly authorised. These types of arguments can often lead to the collapse of a criminal case.
If your case does proceed to trial, we’re acknowledged as the leading Criminal Trial Lawyers in the UK. We’ll ensure that your case is presented in the clearest and most persuasive way.
It’s important that you instruct us as soon as possible. Our specialist police station representatives are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An experienced lawyer will make sure that there’s a strategy in place to get the best possible outcome in court.
Many drug offences are often prosecuted in tandem with offences relating to financial crime, for example money laundering. Our Specialist Lawyers can provide expert representation in these circumstances to guide you through both drug offences and any connected money laundering charges. We’ll support you throughout your case and during any linked investigations.
We understand the effect that a drug conviction will have on your reputation or your career. As part of our service we can advise you on professional or regulatory matters that arise. We are proactive from the start of any investigation.
If possible, we’ll seek to avoid your arrest and avoid the consequences of that arrest, such as having DNA samples stored on a police database. A conviction can affect your travel to places such as the US, so we make sure that we know how any action by the police will affect your life.
Our Lawyers have defended some of the largest and high profile drug trafficking/drug importation cases in the UK. We have a proven track record of reviewing large amounts of information and identifying the key evidence against defendants.
"EXPLAINED EVERYTHING CLEARLY AND FOUND EVIDENCE THAT WAS HIDDEN AWAY... I DO BELIEVE IF IT WASN'T FOR [YOU} I WOULD BE IN PRISON NOW."
Always conduct detailed analysis of the evidence to identify all weaknesses in the prosecution case. We challenge police operations to ensure that undercover operations have been properly authorised and conducted, including carrying out detailed reviews of police observation logs, telephone and cell-site information.
Using our experience, we check for gaps in the prosecution case or identify evidence to support the defence case.
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How Are Prescription Only Drug Offences Handled?
The Medicines Act 1968 and the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 which created criminal offences in connection with the wholesale supply of prescription only drugs. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) supervises and regulates the prescription of drugs and has the power to commence criminal prosecutions under:
- The Human Medicines Regulations 2012
- The Trade Marks Act 1994
- The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
There are potential offences related to the illegal and unlawful activity involving medicines and their availability for the following activities:
- Manufacture
- Import
- Sale
- Supply
- Administration of prescription only drugs.
You could face criminal prosecution by the MHRA if you:
- Manufacture or engage in the wholesale supply of prescription drugs without a valid wholesale dealers licence
- Sell or possess for sale an unauthorised medicinal product
- Supply counterfeit medicine and related fraud act offences
- Issue an advertisement for a relevant medicinal product in respect of which there is no marketing authorisation
- Issue an advertisement that does not comply with the particulars listed in the summary of product characteristics (advertise an off label usage)
In connection with these types of allegations, we can act for you in an investigation or prosecution by the MHRA with to:
- Securing the taking of no further action by the MHRA
- Identifying defences that you may have available to you
- Negotiating with a prosecuting agency to secure a civil outcome and to avoid criminal proceedings
We can act for and advise:
- Businesses and company directors
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Any supplementary prescriber
- Nurses
- Pharmacists
- Optometrists
- Podiatrists
- Paramedics
We have a niche team of lawyers who can assist medical and healthcare professionals with allegations of potential criminal offences in the course of their job.
