Criminal Defence for Chinese Citizens in the UK

If you are a Chinese citizen in the UK, it is important that you have access to expert legal advice and representation where required.

Bespoke Private Fee Service

If you believe your case is likely to have serious consequences for you now, or in the future and you have the means to pay for this service

Do we offer free consultations?

At JD Spicer Zeb, we understand how difficult it can be to be under investigation for a crime. If you are a Chinese citizen residing in the UK, this can make the situation even more distressing, but you will still have the right to legal support from our expert criminal defence solicitors.

Our team’s combination of expertise and experience means that we will be in a strong position to help secure the best possible outcome for your case. This may mean avoiding charges or achieving a reduced penalty where conviction is unavoidable.

We have worked on many high-profile cases throughout the UK and have established ourselves as a leading criminal firm for criminal defence for Chinese nationals. Where required, we provide criminal defence for Chinese nationals at the Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court, Crown Court, Court of Appeal and all the way up to the Supreme Court if necessary.

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Why choose JD Spicer Zeb?

1000's Cases Dropped
24/7 Emergency Phonelines
100's Years Combined Experience
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Recent Cases

There is limited recourse for you if you are falsely accused. Click a selection of the cases we have covered. The best thing you can do is to instruct an excellent solicitor from the outset.

See all cases

Breach of Trust Theft Dropped After Abuse of Process Argument 2024

Assault Case Dropped No Further Action Colindale Police Station 2024

Exceptional Hardship Granted Willesden Magistrates Court 2024

Man Found Not Guilty Sexual Assault On Train - Warwick Crown Court 2024

Man Found Not Guilty Of Multiple Rapes Following Nightclub - Northampton Crown Court 2024

No Further Action Domestic Actual Bodily Harm Colindale Police Station 2024

Suspended Sentence - Serious Category 1A ABH - Southwark Crown Court 2024

Man Not Guilty of Historic Child Sex Offences Luton Crown Court 2024

How quickly do you respond?

We respond quickly even during out of hours. We do not get our work by paying for online adverts but based on the fact that few criminal law firms can match our 45 years of experience. Most of our cases are still from word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients. We are called daily by dissatisfied clients from firms with less experience than us. We respond very quickly to new enquiries. We know what clients seek and so we update clients rapidly.

Can you get cases dropped?

Yes, read about the recent cases we've helped our clients with here.

We always keep you updated and give straightforward advice. We will get cases dropped early where the case is weak or should not be prosecuted. We will be upfront with you about where you can benefit from a good result with an early guilty plea, such as a discount on your sentence. As we work on cases across all levels with clients from all walks of life, we are excellent at giving clear, spot-on advice. As an established firm, we can allocate a whole team to your case often at short notice to secure evidence to minimise the damage to you.

Have you won any awards?

OUR PROFESSIONAL BODY THE LAW SOCIETY AWARDED US IN OCTOBER 2020 WITH THE EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE AWARD AND STATED -

"JD Spicer Zeb demonstrated a clear commitment to client service through their work with vulnerable and diverse individuals in what can be severely traumatic circumstances".

Do you offer free consultations?

Where it is possible, we aim to provide an initial consultation to you. If we can speak to you, we can if required inform you about –

Whether we can take the case on and our relevant experience.
Public and private funding benefits.
Assistance in applying for legal aid where we are likely to accept instructions.
An outline of options in police interview only. We will not advise you on which option to adopt.
Providing our free written guide explaining the police station process.
The gravity of routine and day-to-day offences you face.
Consequences of not attending the court or police station.
Consequences of interfering with any witnesses.
Retaining any evidence in support of your case.
If possible an outline of the elements of the offence that the police or CPS must prove.
This consultation will normally be by telephone or email and will only be for as long as we deem necessary to establish if we can act for you. If we cannot usefully give you any advice in this manner then we will not continue with the consultation. We will not discuss the case in depth for you to be able to decide on your plea or any significant aspect of the case, as this cannot be undertaken informally.
Referring you, if possible, to other firms for matters out of our specialism or if we cannot help.

Consultations do not apply to the following cases –

If we do not intend to take the case on.
Road Traffic cases, drink driving, drug driving, driving bans, speeding, no insurance, mobile phone use, points etc.
In all cases where we do not have the capacity to take your case or the availability of suitably qualified staff to provide an initial free consultation. This is applicable in all cases but especially where a more senior lawyer is required because of your personal needs or the complexity of the case.
Harassment/stalking/ coercive behaviour/malicious communications or road traffic cases and most sensitive cases. These cases are often too complicated to assess in short consultations.
The locations concerned may be too distant to represent you adequately or it may not be cost-effective for you or us.
The case is too complicated to assess or raises various charges or facts, complexity, or history to be considered informally or in a short consultation.
In most Legal aid transfers where legal aid is granted to another firm except in very grave cases, we may assess the case and merits for a transfer.
If your relationship has broken down with your existing solicitor or several solicitors.
If you have been released under investigation and have already had a police station attendance.
If you hold legal aid with another firm and seek a second opinion.
If you are calling on behalf of the client as a friend or family member unless you have full authority and full facts.
To businesses.
Advising whether you were given good advice by your other solicitor.
Whether to decide to plead guilty or not guilty.
Whether you have an arguable defence in law or factually complicated defences.
Any advice you have had after your first court appearance.
Any advice on appeal on conviction or sentence.
If we feel we are unable to communicate with you.
If we are likely to be conflicted or breach our professional rules.

Speak to our criminal defence solicitors for Chinese nationals

If you are a Chinese national requiring legal support and representation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

You can contact a member of our dedicated team of criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:

Brent & Camden London Office: 020 7624 7771
Manchester Office: 0161 835 1638
Birmingham Office: 0121 614 3333
City of London: 0207 624 7771 – our senior Solicitors and Partners can meet by appointment in the City.

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

What type of cases do our criminal law solicitors for Chinese nationals take on?

Our dedicated team of criminal defence solicitors for Chinese nationals can advise and represent you at all stages of criminal proceedings related to offences including but not limited to:

Sexual Offences
Assaults, from Common Assault to Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH)
Theft, Burglary and Robbery
Benefit fraud
Serious Fraud
White Collar Crime
Conspiracies
Cyber Crime
Public Order Offences
Driving Offences
Youth Crime
Murder
Manslaughter
Serious Crime
Firearms
Drugs Offences (from simple possession to possession with intent to supply, drugs conspiracies, cultivation and production)
Human Trafficking
Terrorism
Extradition
Breach of Court Orders (including Non-Molestation Orders and Restraining Orders)
Customs & Excise
Kidnap & False Imprisonment
Coercive Control

We also have particular experience in supporting Chinese nationals accused of money laundering.

Money laundering

Money laundering is a particularly serious financial crime governed by a complex legal framework and the use of multi-agency co-operation for investigation and prosecution. The offence attracts severe penalties and an investigation can have serious consequences for you personally and professionally.

In recent times, financial investigators have increasingly turned their attention to the use of Chinese Underground Banking and ‘Daigou’ for money laundering purposes, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002. Our firm have advised in numerous such cases and have a wealth of experience in navigating this newer, highly complex avenue of money laundering prosecutions.

If you are the subject of an investigation into suspected money laundering, contact JD Spicer Zeb. Thanks to our specialist expertise in these complex matters, we can provide the very best support to protect your legal rights and secure the best available outcome.

What money laundering offences can you be charged with?

The principal money laundering offences are:

Concealing, disguising, converting, or transferring criminal property
Removing criminal property from England and Wales, or from Scotland, or from Northern Ireland
Entering into or becoming concerned in an arrangement knowing or suspecting that it facilities the acquisition, retention, use or control of criminal property by or on behalf of another person
Acquiring, using or possessing criminal property

The elements of each are defined in sections 327 to 329 of POCA 2002.

What defences are there to money laundering?

There are a number of legal defences against money laundering which may be applicable to your case dependent on the facts.

The most common defence is where a defendant can demonstrate that they did not know or suspect that the money or property constituted or represented a person’s benefit from criminal conduct.

This will require strong evidence in order to substantiate the claim before the court. Therefore, we strongly recommend engaging the assistance of our expert solicitors to advise you on the suitability of raising any such defences.

Chinese underground banking and money laundering

The transfer of funds for personal purposes out of China by Chinese citizens is tightly regulated by the Chinese government. These tight regulations have driven some Chinese citizens to avoid using the legitimate routes stipulated by the Chinese government for such transactions, instead using a form Informal Value Transfer System (IVTS) known as ‘Underground Banking’

In turn, a thriving market has developed between China and many western countries such as the UK, based on the transfer of large amounts of funds out of the country, in contravention of the laws of China.

Underground banking involves paying the amount required to be remitted overseas into a bank account controlled by a Chinese IVTS provider, who then arranges for a reciprocal payment to be made into a bank account of the remitter's choice in the UK (or wherever the chosen destination is).

However, several successful money laundering convictions in the UK have recently shown the abuse of Chinese Underground Banking for the purpose of laundering money derived from criminal offences.

This is done by utilising cash generated from crime in the UK to settle separate and unconnected inward Underground Banking remittances to Chinese citizens in the UK. The cash is often deposited into ‘mule accounts’ held by Chinese students as the first steps in the process.

Daigou

‘Daigou’ roughly translates to 'buying on behalf of' and refers to the practice of purchasing goods on behalf of third parties in China.

In China, luxury goods are often subject to significant import tariffs, making them very expensive. Counterfeiting of designer brands is also rife. This is has led to a profitable market whereby Chinese nationals in the UK purchase large amounts of high-end, branded goods and infant formula milk, and ship them back to China to sell them there. This practice can be highly lucrative.

This activity is not technically illegal in China, so long as all local laws are complied with. However, in practice many Daigou breach the law by importing the goods into China without paying the required import duties and taxes, or the required income tax. In response, the Chinese government has introduced further laws to crack down on these illegal practices which are likely to drive Daigou further into underground practices.

In the UK, an additional effect of Daigou is the exploitation of the HMRC VAT 407 retail export scheme, which allows VAT to be reclaimed on goods purchased in retail stores in the UK that are intended to be exported.

Pre-charge bail

If you are released on pre-charge bail (also known as released on bail), your investigation will be ongoing so that the police can gather more evidence.

During this period, you may be subject to certain bail conditions. For example, there may be restrictions on where you can go, or there may be requirements for you to attend the police station at certain times.

To find out more in relation to pre charge bail please use the links provided below:

Speak to our criminal defence solicitors for Chinese nationals

If you are a Chinese national requiring legal support and representation, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

You can contact a member of our dedicated team of criminal defence lawyers in London, Birmingham, and Manchester by telephone on:

Brent & Camden London Office: 020 7624 7771
Manchester Office: 0161 835 1638
Birmingham Office: 0121 614 3333
City of London: 0207 624 7771 – our senior Solicitors and Partners can meet by appointment in the City.

Or email: solicitors@jdspicer.co.uk

Alternatively, you can fill out our quick online enquiry form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How can we help?