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0161 383 8855Charged with drug driving? A reading over the limit is not the end of it.
Specialist motoring solicitors defending section 5A cases across England and Wales. A free, confidential review of your case — and a call back within 1 working hour.
We call you back within 1 working hour.
Privately funded representation. Legal aid is not available for this type of case.
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Tell us where you’re up to and we’ll call you back.
Confidential and free of charge. No obligation to instruct us. We call you back within 1 working hour — Monday to Friday.
The penalties are the same as drink driving. The evidence is not.
A drug driving conviction under section 5A carries a mandatory disqualification of at least 12 months, and it stays on your licence for 11 years. But the science behind the charge is far more contestable than most people assume.
The 11-year endorsement is the part people are not warned about. It affects insurance, employment and any role requiring a DBS check for more than a decade after the ban itself has ended.
A positive blood result does not automatically prove the offence
Most people who call us about drug driving believe the blood reading settles it. It frequently does not. These cases turn on whether the police followed a strict statutory procedure, and on whether the sample itself can be relied upon.
Section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 came into force in March 2015 and sets specified limits for named controlled drugs. The route to that blood sample is tightly regulated: the roadside drug wipe, the impairment test, the requirement for a medical professional’s conclusion, and the handling of the specimen itself all have to be done correctly. Where they are not, the evidence may be inadmissible.
What we examine in every case
- Whether the officer had reasonable suspicion to justify stopping and testing you
- Whether the roadside drug wipe or the impairment test was correctly administered — one or the other is required, not neither
- Where the wipe was negative, whether a medical professional properly concluded that a drug was in your system
- Whether consent for the blood specimen was validly obtained
- Continuity of the sample: how it was taken, stored, transported and preserved
- Instructing an independent expert to test the reliability of the analysis and the laboratory’s methodology
- Medical exemptions, including prescribed medication taken in accordance with directions
The statutory defence for prescribed medication is widely misunderstood and frequently available. If you were taking medication lawfully and in accordance with the instructions given to you, that is a defence in law — and it is worth raising before you enter a plea.
We call you back within 1 working hour.
Which of these describes your case?
Drug driving cases are not all the same, and the defence depends heavily on how the evidence was obtained. Tell us where you are and we will take it from there.
Not sure which applies to you? That is exactly what the free consultation is for.
From your first call to your court date
No call centres, no scripts. You speak to a motoring solicitor about your own case.
We call you back within 1 working hour.
Call us or send your details. We review what has happened, explain where you stand and set out your realistic options. No charge and no obligation.
Charge sheet, court date, licence, any documents the police gave you. This is where the procedural issues that matter usually surface.
We agree the fee in writing before any work starts. You know the figure and it does not change.
We open your file, take your full statement and prepare your case for the first hearing.
Our fees, stated plainly
Drug driving defence starts at £1,500 + VAT. That is the starting point, not a quote. Once we have reviewed your case we agree a fixed fee with you in advance, and that figure does not move. No hourly rates and no invoice that grows as the case goes on.
What moves the fee
- Whether you are pleading guilty with mitigation, or contesting the charge at trial
- The complexity of the procedural and scientific issues raised
- Whether an independent toxicology expert is required to review the analysis
We are a privately funded firm and do not offer legal aid. That is a deliberate choice: it lets us give every case the time a specialist defence needs.
We call you back within 1 working hour.
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Incredibly professional and very helpful in answering all my questions.
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★★★★★
He went out of his way to ensure I was well informed and updated throughout, clearly explaining every step.
Rory M. · Google review
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Helped me at every step of the process. Can not recommend enough.
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The solicitor reviewing your case
Alexander
Director · Solicitor · Higher Court Advocate
- Director of the firm
- Qualified Solicitor
- Higher Court Advocate
- 20+ years in motoring law
- Crown Court jury trial advocate
Alexander is a Director of the firm, a qualified Solicitor and Higher Court Advocate, and has specialised in motoring law for over 20 years. For much of that time he was an advocate in the Crown Court, acting for clients in jury trials, and he has acted in some of the most serious road traffic cases there are. That work built a detailed knowledge of evidence, statute and case law — and, critically in this area, of disclosure and procedure, and how to use them to a client’s advantage in court.
Alexander has significant experience across criminal road traffic cases and a particular depth of knowledge in matters involving drink and drugs. He has built a reputation for the technical expertise these cases turn on, using the law and the procedure behind the evidence to the benefit of his clients.
He also understands the value of being approachable. He takes the time to guide clients through proceedings and explain each step, so that the process itself stops being one more thing to worry about.
Alexander is not the only solicitor here. Our motoring team handles cases across England and Wales, so your matter is never waiting on one person’s diary. Whoever acts for you, road traffic law is their specialism.
Find out whether your case is actually defensible
The consultation is free and confidential. You are not committing to instruct us by making the call. Many people ring simply to find out whether the blood evidence stands up.
- Free, confidential and with no obligation to instruct us
- You speak to a motoring solicitor, not a call handler
- An honest view of your options — including when there isn’t one
- A fixed fee agreed before any work begins
We call you back within 1 working hour.
Or call 0161 383 8855 nowRequest your free consultation
Confidential and free of charge. No obligation to instruct us. We call you back within 1 working hour — Monday to Friday.
Why this is not a job for a general practice firm
Drug driving is a young area of law with a technical evidence base. It rewards specialists who challenge the science, and it punishes assumptions.
Motoring law is all we do
Not one department among twelve. The procedural detail these cases turn on is our day job, not an occasional file.
Specialist advocates
The solicitor who reviews your case is the one who knows how these arguments are run in the magistrates’ court.
You get a real person
Direct contact with the solicitor handling your matter. No call centre, no ticket number.
Fixed fee, agreed upfront
You know the cost before any work starts. No hourly billing and no invoice that grows.
Drug driving: your questions
The blood test came back over the limit. Is there any point defending it?
Frequently, yes. A laboratory result is only as good as the procedure that produced it. Sample continuity, storage, the validity of consent, and the route the police took to requiring the specimen are all challengeable, and failures in any of them can render the evidence inadmissible. We look at the whole chain, not just the number.
I was taking prescribed medication. Does that help me?
It may be a complete defence. Section 5A provides a statutory defence where the drug was prescribed or supplied for medical purposes and you took it in accordance with the directions given. It is one of the most commonly missed defences in this area, so bring your prescription details to the consultation.
What will it cost and can the price change?
Fees start at £1,500 + VAT. After the free review we agree a fixed fee with you in writing, and that figure is what you pay. It does not change unless the scope of the work changes and you agree to it first.
How quickly will you get back to me?
Within 1 working hour, Monday to Friday. If you contact us outside those hours, leave your details on the form and you will hear from us at the start of the next working day.
The roadside wipe was negative but I was still arrested. Is that allowed?
It can be, but only if the correct alternative procedure was followed. Where a wipe is negative, the officers must conduct an impairment test and a medical professional must conclude that your condition is due to some drug before a blood specimen can be required. If that did not happen properly, it is a significant issue in your case.
How long does a drug driving conviction stay on my licence?
Eleven years from the date of conviction. That is considerably longer than the disqualification itself, and it is the part that tends to affect insurance and employment for the longest.
Do you offer legal aid?
No. We are a privately funded specialist firm and legal aid is not available for this work. Our fixed-fee structure exists so you know exactly what you are committing to before you commit to anything.
Do you cover my area?
We represent clients in magistrates’ courts across England and Wales. Our head office is in Chorley, but where your case is being heard does not restrict who can act for you.
Blood evidence can be challenged — but not after you have pleaded
Get a specialist view of the evidence before you enter a plea. The consultation costs nothing.
We call you back within 1 working hour.