Who should I call about my perverting-the-course-of-justice allegation?
Call Ghafar Khan directly to discuss your perverting-the-course-of-justice allegation. For a confidential and prompt response, call, text or WhatsApp 07500 556587. If you are at a police station, ask the custody officer to contact Ghafar Khan. If you have a court date, bail notice or police paperwork, keep it available when you make contact.
Ghafar Khan is a Criminal Defence Solicitor and High Court Advocate acting throughout England and Wales. Police-station advice is free. Criminal legal aid is accepted where the case and eligibility requirements are met.
Public justice offences
Have you been accused of perverting the course of justice, giving false details or interfering with evidence? Contact Ghafar Khan, an experienced criminal lawyer and solicitor, before a police interview. The prosecution must prove an act or course of conduct that had a tendency to pervert public justice and was intended to do so.
Conduct that may be alleged
The offence can cover varied conduct connected to an existing or anticipated investigation or court process. The precise allegation and intention must be identified.
- Providing false details or a false alibi
- Destroying, concealing or fabricating evidence
- Witness interference
- Assisting someone to evade arrest or prosecution
What the evidence must prove
The defence may focus on what was done, whether it could affect the course of justice and whether the required intention is proved. Messages, timing, context and the account given in interview may be central.
- The alleged act or series of acts
- Knowledge and intention
- Whether proceedings were in existence or anticipated
- Alternative explanations and charge selection
Crown Court defence
Perverting the course of justice is indictable only and is dealt with in the Crown Court. Early advice is important before a police interview or charging decision.
What to do if you are being investigated
These cases often turn on intention, timing and the precise context of communications or conduct. Early legal advice can help preserve material that may provide an innocent explanation and avoid further complications.
- Keep police paperwork, interview dates, bail or release documents and any written allegations.
- Preserve relevant messages, emails, call records, photographs, receipts, travel records and other material that may explain what happened.
- Do not delete, alter or fabricate messages, documents or digital material.
- Do not approach a complainant, witness or co-suspect about changing an account or evidence.
- Get legal advice before giving a substantive account in a police interview.
Common questions about perverting the course of justice
What counts as perverting the course of justice?+
The prosecution must prove an act or series of acts that had a tendency to pervert the course of public justice and was intended to do so. The allegation can arise during a police investigation; court proceedings do not necessarily have to have started.
Can deleting messages or destroying evidence lead to an allegation?+
Potentially. CPS guidance identifies concealing or destroying evidence among conduct that can amount to the offence. Whether an offence is proved depends on the circumstances and, importantly, the required intention.
Can asking a witness to change their account be an offence?+
It can be extremely serious. Attempts to persuade or pressure a witness not to give evidence, to alter evidence or to give false evidence are examples identified in CPS guidance. The exact words, context and intention require careful examination.
Can a false alibi amount to perverting the course of justice?+
Yes, a deliberately false alibi intended to interfere with an investigation or proceedings can fall within the offence. The prosecution still has to prove the relevant conduct and intention.
Can I be charged if the original allegation against someone was not proved?+
The outcome of an underlying allegation does not by itself determine whether a public-justice offence has been committed. The prosecution must prove the separate elements of the alleged perverting conduct. In false-allegation cases, CPS guidance stresses that an allegation failing to result in prosecution does not automatically prove that it was false.
What evidence do police use in these cases?+
Depending on the allegation, evidence may include messages, call data, CCTV, witness accounts, interview records, documents, digital material and the chronology of events. The defence should examine both what the material shows and whether it genuinely proves the alleged intention.
Where is perverting the course of justice tried?+
It is an indictable-only offence and is dealt with in the Crown Court.
Is every false statement perverting the course of justice?+
No. The facts, context, tendency to affect public justice and the required intention must be proved. CPS guidance also recognises that other offences may sometimes be more appropriate depending on the seriousness and circumstances.
What should I do if police invite me to an interview?+
Seek criminal defence advice before the interview. A solicitor can consider the allegation, available disclosure and the safest way to deal with questioning. Avoid deleting material or contacting witnesses in an attempt to resolve matters yourself.
Speak to Ghafar Khan now.
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