The beginning of any private prosecution is the most important part of the entire process and like a good house an effective private prosecution is built upon firm foundations.
The first stage of a private prosecution will entail a preliminary meeting between the person/company wishing to bring the prosecution and Quentin Hunt: barrister-at-law and head of private-prosecution.co.uk.
At this meeting Quentin will get to grips with the basics of your case and give you preliminary advice as to the direction in which matters should proceed. Guidance will be given as to the potential evidence in the case, the potential charges that can be laid, who they can be laid against and an initial view as to the case’s likelihood of success.
The standard of proof in criminal courts is high, the Magistrates or jury must be satisfied of the defendant’s guilt so that they are sure or as is commonly known- beyond reasonable doubt. In order to make sure that the case crosses this threshold it must be meticulously and expertly prepared.
At the next stage Quentin will provide a detailed assessment of your case and a ‘road map’ showing the potential way forward. This will include an assessment as to the proper charges to be brought, the drafting of the charges and a detailed ‘advice on evidence’ document with guidance as to the evidential stages that need to be followed to get the case ready for trial.
The evidence will then be collected- this can be done in a variety of ways depending upon the type of case and the nature of the evidence that needs to be gathered in order to prove the case. Evidence will take the form of witness statements and exhibits. Exhibits can be anything from real objects such as knives and money through to documents, DVDs, computer files or maps. The type of evidence required will depend upon the type of case. Some will require only a single witness statement with no supporting exhibits, other more complex cases will require many witness statements, together with many pages of supporting exhibits.
Quentin has an expert team of investigators and forensic scientists who can assist in the collection and interpretation of evidence. You will be fully advised as to what evidence is necessary and the most efficient and expeditious method of collection and presentation of that evidence.
Once the potential defendants have been identified, the correct charges drafted and the evidence collected then the matter is ready to proceed to court.
In pursuing a private prosecution through this website, you will be instructing Quentin under the ‘direct public access’ scheme. This means that he will put forward your private prosecution and you will be instructing him directly with all of the expertise but none of the costs involved in instructing both a Solicitor and a Barrister.
