Defence Campaigns
Getting arrested can be an extremely stressful time and one in which it is easy to feel alone. Defend the Right to Protest alongside other groups such as GBC (Green and Black Cross) and LDMG (Legal Defence Monitoring Group) are here to offer advice, help and support through this process.
Whether you have been arrested, bailed or charged – it is vital that you get the right legal advice and we can help put you in touch with lawyers who have experience and a track record of specialising in protest and public order cases.
It is important to know that often arrests don’t lead to charges being made, and it is important to take advice on how deal with and challenge any bail conditions that may have been imposed in the meantime.
In the case of charges being bought against you; experience shows that with the right legal advice and support you have a good chance of winning your case.
A recent study of 100 public order cases related by LDMG showed that 83% of those who pleaded not guilty walked away with no conviction for the offence they were charged with. In other high profile cases such as those of the student cases arising from the 2010 anti-tuition fees and more recently those involving anti-fracking protests the experience has been that the vast majority of those who challenged their charges won their cases.
One way of building support for your case and raising wider awareness is through getting together with other defendants and organising a defence campaign. This is one way of building support for your case and putting the policing and attempted criminalisation of protesters under public scrutiny.
It can also help to talk to others who have been through the same experience as you – and we can also put you in touch with people who have been through what you are going through.
The lesson of the past five years is that when we work together, share experiences, and make defence a collective and political task, we can beat repression – and you do not have to go through this experience alone
If you want to find out more, get in touch – its all in complete confidence – we’re here to help!
Contact us at info@defendtherighttoprotest or call us on 07928579605.