Recent Cases | Smith Bowyer Clarke

Expert team of Barristers and Solicitors with years of experience in providing advice and representation in Road Transport Law.

Please find some of our recent cases below.

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Driver Conduct Hearing: Formal Warning from Traffic Commissioner following careless driving prosecution - March 2024

This driver, represented before the Traffic Commissioner by Millicent Dooher, had previously pleaded guilty to an offence of careless driving whilst in an HGV. The driving had resulted in injury to a pedestrian. The Traffic Commissioner considered the circumstances of the offence and the actions the driver had taken to […]

Civil Penalty Appeal: County Court Cancels Company Penalty - March 2024

This Company received a civil penalty of £5,000.00 following the discovery of 1 clandestine entrant in their vehicle. The Company lodged an appeal to the County Court on the basis that: They had complied with the regulations; They accepted they were not part of the accreditation scheme They accepted they […]

Prosecution Dropped for Operator Charged with Licence Lending with Intent - March 2024

Millicent Dooher, barrister, represented this operator before the Magistrates’ Court following an offence of licence lending with intent. The Operator contended that there was no intent for the lending of the licence, having accepted that another was using his licence at the time. Following discussions, the Prosecution agreed to offer […]

Fines Only for Driver with 9 Tacho Offences, Including Using a Manipulation Device - March 2024

This driver, represented by Millicent Dooher, was prosecuted for 9 tachograph offences, the most serious of which being the use of a manipulation device to allow him to work over his hours without any information being recorded on the tachograph. Following submissions, the Court imposed fines for 4 of the […]

Operator With Extensive History of Poor Compliance Curtailed to Requested Reduction - March 2024

Barrister, Millicent Dooher, represented this operator before the Traffic Commissioner at a Public Inquiry. The Traffic Commissioner had concerns following an extensive history of poor maintenance compliance, an absent Transport Manager and insufficient financial standing. Prior to the hearing, the Operator had indicated that a reduction would be sought, but […]

HGV Driver’s 56 day Disqualification Vacated and 6 Penalty Points Imposed Instead - March 2024

This Driver, represented before the Magistrates by Millicent Dooher, faced sentence for a speeding offence and a careless driving offence. The Driver had requested that the matter be dealt with by penalty points or a hearing convened. The Courts made a decision in his absence to disqualify him for 56 […]

Civil Penalties For Clandestine Entrants – More Penalties Cancelled on Appeal. - March 2024

Our client, a major Belgian hauler, was hit with civil penalties following the discovery of a clandestine entrant in one of their trucks with a liability of up to £20,000 under the new rules. We appealed against those penalties, and, after a contested court hearing the penalty imposed on our […]

Driver Who Failed Intoximeter at Work Dealt with by way of Formal Warning at Driver Conduct Hearing - March 2024

This driver, represented at their driver conduct hearing by barrister Harry Bowyer, blew 25 microgrammes in breath at a randon breath test at work. The operator reported them to the Traffic Commissioner. As the drink had been taken the day before and the driver had miscalculated the time before the […]

A PSV Operator Who had Suffered a Wheel Loss Incident Keeps Licence at Public Inquiry - March 2024

This Operator, represented by Senior Solicitor, Murray Oliver, was called to Public Inquiry following a wheel loss incident. Losing a wheel is one of the 7 Most serious infringements which may result in the automatic revocation of an O licence. The operator’s immediate changes to its systems for recording wheel […]

Court of Appeal Grants Permission to Appeal – Civil Penalties Guidance - March 2024

In the Court of Appeal decision in Link Spolka Z O.O. & Ors. v SSHD  [2021] EWCA Civ. 1830 Simon Clarke leading Millicent Dooher succeeded in six appeals against County Court decisions to refuse appeals against Border Force civil penalties for clandestine entrants. In that case the Court of Appeal […]

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