Planning Enforcement
Planning enforcement is a notoriously complicated and difficult area of law. If you are accused of an offence you will need an experienced and effective planning enforcement lawyer to fight your corner.
Quentin Hunt’s robust and proactive approach has made him the 1st choice planning enforcement Barrister for both companies and individuals alike. Quentin is known to be a leading authority on planning enforcement law and his numerous blog posts on the subject are considered essential reading by lay persons and practitioners alike. He has undertaken some of the highest profile criminal planning cases in the Country often achieving ‘amazing’ results for his clients.
Quentin is often instructed by Solicitors seeking specialist Criminal planning counsel. In addition, as planning enforcement cases are rarely eligible for legal aid Quentin is often instructed directly by members of the public who do not want to have to pay for both a Solicitor and Barrister but still wish to instruct a planning law expert.
Quentin has a particular dislike for local authority prosecutions where local councils try to extract the maximum figure they can from landlords and businesses via the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 cases, knowing that around 1/3 of the money recovered will go directly into their pockets under the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme. Quentin has found that the approach local authorities sometimes take in these cases is oppressive and unfair, and he delights in fighting such cases on behalf of his clients. He will often work closely with expert forensic accountants to challenge prosecution valuations and ensure a fair and proportionate outcome.
Quentin knows how important Planning enforcement cases are to his clients as they effect homes, businesses and people’s livelihoods. He is often instructed at an early stage in proceedings and takes a ‘front foot’ proactive approach, drafting representations against charge before cases have even started. If matters reach the Court stage Quentin has a reputation for ruthlessly pursuing pre-trial applications such as applications to dismiss, abuse of process applications, disclosure applications and applications to exclude evidence. At trial Quentin’s background as a Criminal jury advocate means that he is able to mercilessly cross examine prosecution witnesses and make persuasive and elegant submissions that give his clients the best chance of winning their cases.
Examples of Quentin’s work in this areas include
- Pre-charge advice to clients in respect of matters of potential liability;
- Preventing prosecutions by the effective drafting of pre-charge representations;
- Successfully arguing that prosecutions are an abuse of the process of the Court;
- Successfully pursuing dismissal applications;
- Conducting trials in both the Magistrates and Crown Courts;
- Dealing with applications made by Local Authorities under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;
- Appeals against convictions in Planning enforcement cases where Quentin did not appear at trial.
Known for his effective advocacy and extensive knowledge of the law, Quentin works closely in conjunction with his clients to get excellent results in their cases.
The benefits of instructing Quentin
- He is a litigation qualified direct access Barrister who can deal with all aspects of your case. There is no need to pay both a solicitor and a Barrister.
- A complete and personal commitment to each client, from early stage advice through to case conclusion
- As a specialist criminal advocate with a track record of success Quentin has been defending Planning cases in the Magistrates and Crown Courts for over two decades. His specialist knowledge of Criminal Law and procedure mark him out from those who have a more Civil law planning background.
- Quentin is an expert in dealing with and advising upon the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, often one of the main drivers behind local authority prosecutions.
If you need a planning enforcement barrister with an established reputation for excellence and results, Quentin is ready to discuss any aspect of your case.
If you need legal advice simply Contact Quentin. Alternatively, to find out more on Quentin's successes relating to planning enforcement offence cases you can visit hiscriminal defence blog or read some his success stories.
Quentin's Guides to Planning Enforcement Law
Frequently Asked Questions
There is no stage that is too early or too late to seek legal advice if you consider yourself to be in trouble. In fact, the earlier you get an experienced legal representative on board the more likely you are to avoid mistakes at the beginning of proceedings that can come back to haunt you later if the matter proceeds to litigation.
One of Quentin’s mottos is that ‘the best way to win a trial is not to have a trial at all’ and he is known for the drafting of effective pre-charge representations and the launching of powerful pre-trial legal arguments. His tactical and skilful drafting and presentation of arguments such as disclosure, abuse of process and dismissal applications can often defeat a prosecution case before it even gets to trial.
Quentin is also adept at accepting instructions at a late stage and is often approached to ‘rescue’ cases from ineffective publicly funded representatives.
Quentin is passionate about committing the necessary time and attention to detail to his cases and purposefully does not take on a huge client base. He is therefore does not accept instruction in Legal Aid or publicly funded cases.
If you have been accused of a criminal offence you have the right to seek justice by employing the best barrister to present your case. You can instruct leading criminal barrister Quentin Hunt to handle your criminal case directly – rather than having to go through a third-party solicitor. You can contact Quentin for a free, no obligation conversation about your case, he will talk you through the process personally.
