ADLA conference 2023 – Early stage resolution panel discussion

Often, people don't approach a defence lawyer until they have been charged with an offence and have a court date approaching - but there are many steps that can be taken before this stage, to reach the best outcome. At the Australian Defence Lawyers Alliance conference, we heard from Doogue + George's Amelia Ramsay, along with Casey Isaacs from Caldicott + Isaacs Lawyers, and Joe Wicking from Potts Lawyers, about early stage resolution and its many benefits.

Avoiding Charges Altogether

Being charged with a criminal offence is a stressful experience and can have a serious impact on a person's life, so preventing charges from being laid at all comes with substantial benefits. Amelia described her work at Doogue + George in providing police with written submissions, pre-charge, to persuade police against charging. In one recent case, Amelia's client was interviewed by police in relation to wilful exposure. The client, a cyclist, instructed that he was shaving