Morning:
20°c
Secret deal hatched by News of the World to hush up details of phone-tapping was sealed in a tiny room at the Royal Courts of Justice
More...
I can tighten road law, says 'Mr Loophole' offers to make road laws
Sri Carmichael31.12.08
THE solicitor dubbed Mr Loophole for getting the rich and famous off traffic offences has offered to help the Government iron out the anomalies which form the basis of his success.
Nick Freeman has earned millions defending high-profile clients such as David Beckham, Jeremy Clarkson and Sir Alex Ferguson.
But now he says he wants to help ministers make legal changes that will prevent drivers escaping conviction.
Mr Freeman, 53, who lives in a £3.5million house in Cheshire and who charges up to £10,000 a day, said: "There are so many things that could be done to remove the sort of defences that people run and succeed on [and] I would be very happy to offer whatever help I can to try to make our roads safer."
He added that drink drivers had too many rights and the level of alcohol allowed in the blood should be "reduced substantially" to the European level of 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood from the current level of 80mg.
Mr Freeman is famous for convincing a court that Sir Alex Ferguson drove on the hard shoulder in 1999 because he had an upset stomach and needed the loo.
Reader views (4)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
The problem is cultural. The very reason for a set of offences to the person by vehicle which is separate to those of normal assault and battery betrays the fact that these offences are not taken seriously by our society and that there is an "acceptable price" to pay in human life for the irresponsible way we drive.
This applies to political leaders, journalists, judges, enforcement officers and - yes - magistrates. It has nothing to do with expensive lawyers, rich clients and loopholes.
When - as frequently happens - a white van "punishes" a cyclist for being on the road by steering into him or her causing serious injury, that is in fact attempted murder. There is no such thing as attempted GBH. Yet if he were charged at all it would be with "careless driving", and he would be let off because "three points would harm his livelihood, which depends on a clean licence". The magistrates would cite "natural justice" and the "blind spot".
Mr Freeman must accept his role in the many travesties of justice, as he has helped to create a culture in which those innocent victims grievously injured by reckless or psychotic motorists are seen as petty even for wishing a summary sentence to be imposed. However, he is only one of the cogs in the slowly turning wheel of [in]Justice.
- Reg, London
Having worked for over 20 years in the Magistrates' Service, the only real loophole that Mr Freeman has found is the type of client he represents. Most people who give an excuse as to why they should not be disqualified such as the one described; "driving on the hard shoulder because they had an upset stomach" will not get off. Magistrates are frightened to do anything to anyone at the best of times, let alone to a defendant with a high profile and an expensive lawyer. As other readers have said, you really don't need to ask Freeman what to do, there are plenty of excellent and underpaid legal advisors in the courts that would sort it out.
- David, London
Damned simple really: just look at all his past cases, check the defences and close the loopholes. Why pay him again for the priviledge?
- Naomi Sajeri, Manchester
What is the army of government lawyers being paid for if they can't draw up decent laws? As in everything else this government touches, incompetence rules!
- Js, New York
