Criminal Matters

Palmers is able to provide a highly professional and prompt service in all areas of criminal work. Our resident partner, Jeremy Sirrell, has uniquely broad experience and exceptional qualification in this field of work. Having initially qualified as a barrister, Jeremy Sirrell took up a position as legal adviser to the magistrates, sitting at courts throughout Essex. Pursuing his interest in criminal law further, he obtained a position as a Crown Prosecutor before obtaining an additional qualification as a Solicitor, transferring to the solicitors' branch of the profession and then forming the criminal department of Palmers where he now resides, acting on behalf of both individuals and corporate bodies in both the capacity as a defence advocate and also as a prosecutor.

Heading the team, Mr Sirrell is able to advise upon a wide variety of matters, including not only prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service but also those brought by local authorities, trading standards departments, the Health and Safety Executive and other bodies. Although much of this work will be dealt with on a private basis, we retain a contract with the Legal Services Commission to provide legal aid for those accused of criminal offences, when they qualify.

Palmers eschews the increasingly common approach in this area of work being done by a wide variety of people on a conveyor belt basis. This is not how Palmers' Criminal Department is organised, in common with all other departments of this firm, a high quality and personal service is available and is central to this firm's approach to providing advice and representation to its clients.