From the first interview onwards
The most consequential decisions in a criminal matter are often taken before anyone reaches court, in the police station. We advise clients on their position at the investigation stage, attend on arrest, and make bail applications.
Where charges are brought, we appear before the Court of Magistrates as a court of criminal judicature and, where the matter proceeds, before the Criminal Court.
Experience on both sides of the courtroom
Dr Richard Sladden is frequently appointed by the Superior Courts of Malta to act as Legal Expert, and is regularly appointed as a Court Expert by Inquiring Magistrates. He has also served as a Prosecutor in Local Tribunals.
That experience is directly useful to the defence. Knowing how an inquiry is assembled and how expert evidence is weighed shapes how a case is answered.
How a criminal matter proceeds
Most matters begin with a police investigation, at which point a person may be questioned as a suspect. Where charges follow, the accused is arraigned before the Court of Magistrates, and questions of bail are addressed at that stage. Depending on the gravity of the charge the matter is either decided there or proceeds to the Criminal Court.
Serious cases may involve a magisterial inquiry, in which a court expert is appointed to examine evidence. We are familiar with that process from the inside, and it informs how we test the material a prosecution relies on.
Practical, unsentimental advice
Clients facing criminal proceedings are usually frightened, and frightened people make poor decisions. What we offer is a clear account of the position, the realistic range of outcomes, and the consequences of each option, including where an early admission genuinely serves a client better than a contested trial.
The firm handles criminal matters ranging from road traffic and regulatory offences through to serious charges before the Criminal Court.
Common questions
- I have been asked to attend a police interview. Do I need a lawyer?
- Speak to one first. What is said at the investigation stage shapes everything that follows, and the right to legal assistance exists precisely for that moment.
- Can you assist with a bail application?
- Yes. Bail is a routine but consequential part of our criminal practice, and applications are frequently decided on the quality of the preparation behind them.
- Do you act in appeals?
- Yes, we advise on the prospects of appeal and represent clients in appeal proceedings, in criminal as well as civil matters.