Criminal Lawyers Adelaide

Our experienced lawyers can help you with any criminal law case

Use our experience of over 20 years. We are reliable and have acted in many high profile matters.

Our Criminal Law Services

If you do not see the criminal law area you need help with please give our team a call:

Criminal Law specialist Michael Woods

Expert Criminal Lawyers in Adelaide

Protecting Your Rights Across South Australia

Criminal Law is a complex area of law. In recent times politicians have changed the law regularly in order to appear to be tough on crime. In reality, many of the rights that previously existed have been eroded.

In our view the presumption of innocence and the presumption of bail have been eroded. In addition, the discretion of the sentencing court has regularly been curtailed by imposing mandatory sentencing which can be difficult to avoid.

Our firm believes in being dynamic and across all facets of criminal law in South Australia.

We appear daily as counsel in all courts in Adelaide, the suburbs and the State of South Australia (if you would like to view which courts we attend please click here).

We listen to you and help you with your problem. We aim to achieve an outcome that recognises your goals. Whether you wish to fight the case or present a contrite guilty plea we can assist you. Call our friendly and experienced team on 08 8311 3111. We regularly appear in the Supreme Court and Court of Criminal Appeal in order to protect your rights.

Call our friendly Criminal Lawyers Adelaide on 08 8311 3111.

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Call Our Specialists In Criminal Lawyers Today

Call our criminal lawyers in Adelaide today

Meet Our Criminal Lawyers in Adelaide

Our Criminal Law Team Services The Adelaide Metro & Regional SA Areas

Michael Woods
Michael WoodsDirector
Michael Woods is passionate about the firm and commitment to excellence. He has trained many solicitors who have now opened their own practice. He opened the firm in 2000 after working for a leading defence criminal lawyer.
Hugh Woods
Hugh WoodsDirector
Hugh joined our team in 2015 and was admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia in 2018. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice. He has developed his own following and is committed to your matter.
Ben Chehade
Ben ChehadeSolicitor
Ben Chehade graduated with an Honours Degree in Law from the University of Adelaide in 2012. After owning a successful business, he returned the law, focusing on criminal law and traffic law. in Adelaide.
Vivian Ngo
Vivian NgoSolicitor
Vivian joined Woods & Co Lawyers to practise exclusively in Criminal Law after having worked in general practice across a broad range of areas including criminal and civil law. Vivian is bilingual and speaks Vietnamese.

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We protect your rights!

Frequently asked criminal law questions

At Woods & Co lawyers we advise  you to speak with a lawyer before speaking to the police.

Normally, you are required only to provided your name and address but there are some offences where you are obliged by law to answer certain questions.

Call our team today on 08 8311 3111 in order to protect your rights.

If the police arrest you and have charged you then provided they have reasonable grounds to believe it is necessary to identify you (or identifying you as the person who committed an offence), then they have the have the power to;

  • take your fingerprints
  • photograph you
  • make a voice recording of your voice
  • request you supply a sample of your handwriting

Otherwise, they need an order of a Magistrate.

Reasonable force can be used to photograph you or take your prints.  Force cannot be used to take a handwriting or voice recording but you commit a criminal offence if you disobey a reasonable direction.

To learn more about this please call our team on 08 8311 3111.

When can police search your person?

  • Under the  Controlled Substances Act 1984 if they believe on reasonable grounds you are possessing an illegal drug.
  • If you have been arrested.
  • If a police officer has reasonable grounds to suspect you are in possession of a firearm subject to seizure.
  • Police can ask you to empty your pockets but unless they have proper grounds to do so they may commit an illegal search unless you agree.

When can police can search your house?

  • If they have a General Search warrant.
  • If they have obtained a valid drug warrant for a premises.
  • Without a warrant, if they reasonably believe there is a firearm or ammunition subject to seizure. 

Can police search your vehicle or vessel?

  • If they have reasonable cause to suspect that there are stolen goods, or you are in possession of an object which constitutes an offence, or there is evidence of an indictable offence. 
  • Similarly if the police suspect on reasonable grounds that you are in possession of illegal drugs then they can search your vehicle or vessel. (They need to meet a higher test of belief to search your person

The above should not be relied upon for legal advice.  Each circumstance can change.

Call our friendly and experienced team to protect your rights.