Areas of Expertise
Your Right to Justice –When the State Fails to Act
When the police or CPS refuse to prosecute, justice does not have to end there. You have the legal right to bring a private prosecution – a powerful tool that allows individuals and businesses to take legal action where public authorities have failed or declined to do so.
At Investigations Law we have expert lawyers in bringing and defending private prosecutions. Whether you are a victim of fraud, theft, harassment, or another serious offence, we provide decisive, strategic representation to hold wrongdoers to account and protect your interests.
Upholding your right to justice when the state defaults
What Is a Private Prosecution?
A private prosecution is a criminal case initiated by an individual or organisation, rather than the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). It is governed by section 6(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. It allows victims to pursue justice when public bodies are unwilling or unable to act.
When Can I Bring a Private Prosecution?
Private prosecutions are suitable in a wide range of cases, including:
- Fraud and financial crime
- Theft, deception, and misappropriation of assets
- Harassment and stalking
- Animal cruelty
- Environmental offences
- Corporate wrongdoing
- Malicious communications
If you have evidence that a criminal offence has been committed, we can advise you on whether a private prosecution is viable and cost-effective.
Our Services
We offer a complete end-to-end service, including:
- Evidence assessment and case strategy
- Preparing and issuing charges in the Magistrates’ Court
- Drafting applications for summons
- Briefing leading counsel where necessary
- Liaising with police and CPS
- Ensuring compliance with the Criminal Procedure Rules
- Conducting trials in the Magistrates’ or Crown Court
- Pursuing costs recovery from central funds where appropriate
Defending Private Prosecutions
We also defend individuals and companies facing private prosecutions. These are serious matters that can have lasting reputational and legal consequences. We act swiftly to challenge unlawful or malicious prosecutions and protect your rights through robust legal action.
Why Choose Us?
- Insightful and strategic litigation – We act fast and effectively.
- Expertise – Decades of experience in complex investigations and criminal proceedings.
- Discreet and confidential – Sensitive cases are handled with the utmost care.
- Cost-conscious – We offer clear, upfront advice on costs, risks, and likely outcomes.
- Proven results – We pursue and defend private prosecutions with skill and tenacity.
Consultant Profile
Private Prosecution Expertise and Strategic Defence Insight
We maintain an exclusive consultancy relationship with a former senior Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) legal manager who acts as our dedicated advisor on private prosecutions and high-value, complex criminal defence cases. This exclusive arrangement enables us to provide clients with informed, strategic advice grounded in decades of experience at the highest levels of both prosecution and defence.
Qualifying as a solicitor in 1994, our consultant began his career as an court advocate in private practice, specialising in criminal defence. He represented clients across the full spectrum of criminal allegations, including road traffic offences, serious violence, sexual offences, homicide, and complex fraud. His reputation for forensic preparation and sound tactical judgment led to instructions and referrals from across the country. This extensive defence background remains critical to understanding how cases are challenged, undermined, and ultimately defended at trial.
After ten years in defence practice, he joined the CPS as a Senior Crown Prosecutor, progressing to Legal Manager—a role he held for 18 years. In that capacity, he was responsible not only for managing teams of prosecutors but also for overseeing serious and sensitive prosecutions. He worked directly with senior police officers at the pre-charge stage, advising on evidential sufficiency, lines of inquiry, disclosure obligations, and charging strategy. This experience provides unique insight into how charging decisions are made, why cases succeed or fail, and where prosecutorial weaknesses arise.
He served as Area Lead for Domestic Abuse, Stalking, and Harassment, and was also appointed Area Disclosure Lead, ensuring compliance with disclosure duties and fairness in proceedings. His role required constant engagement with investigative failings, evidential gaps, and disclosure errors—issues that frequently determine the outcome of both private prosecutions and defence cases.
His work with police constabularies extended to the delivery of specialist training on criminal evidence, disclosure, and complex offence types. In recognition of this contribution, he received a National Award from the Director of Public Prosecutions, acknowledging his role in improving investigative standards and the quality of prosecution case files.
The Advantage in Private Prosecutions
For clients pursuing a private prosecution, this exclusive consultancy offers a decisive advantage. We are able to assess, from a prosecutor’s perspective, whether a case meets the evidential and public interest tests, how it will be scrutinised by the CPS if taken over, and how it is likely to be challenged by experienced defence teams. This allows private prosecutions to be brought responsibly, proportionately, and with a clear understanding of the risks and strengths from the outset.
The Advantage for the Defence
For defendants, access to former CPS senior decision-makers is invaluable. We are able to identify weaknesses in charging decisions, disclosure failures, investigative shortcuts, and overreach at an early stage. This insight informs robust representations, applications to exclude evidence, abuse of process arguments, and targeted defence strategies designed to dismantle the prosecution case efficiently and effectively.
Our approach ensures that every case—whether a private prosecution or a defence matter—is analysed through the lens of how the prosecution thinks, how police investigations operate, and how cases are realistically assessed behind closed doors.
Contact Us
If you believe you have grounds to pursue a private prosecution – or you are facing one – contact us now for a confidential consultation.
