Criminal Lawyers in South Africa

Our team of criminal lawyers in South Africa offers legal guidance, assistance, and court representation for victims of crimes, as well as those who have been accused of committing an offence.

Our lawyers in South Africa can also assist those interested in applying for bail or those who have an appeal scheduled for a criminal offence. If you would like to know more about the solutions and legal advice we can provide in criminal cases, our team can answer your questions.

Services offered by our criminal lawyers in South Africa

Our criminal attorneys in South Africa act on behalf of victims of crimes or those who have been charged with a crime. Having proven experience in criminal law is a must in these cases, and our team has extensive experience in defending the accused or the victim.

In summary, some of the services offered by our criminal lawyers in South Africa will include:

Initial counsel: you can reach out to us as soon as you have been detained by the police. Some of the first things we will assist with is explaining your rights;
Plea deal negotiation: our attorney will make arrangements for out-of-court settlement, as possible in your case;
Court representation: when your case goes to court, our criminal lawyers in South Africa will offer legal representation;
Others: throughout the criminal proceedings, our lawyers in South Africa who handle your case will also gather evidence as needed or talk to eyewitnesses and experts, as may be required on a case-by-case basis.

The South African Penal Code

In South Africa, there is no single penal code: crimes are defined by common law and statutes, while criminal procedure is governed by the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. This is the act that offers information on how criminal proceedings are handled. Over time, the act has been amended and has received additions, all of which provide for further procedures and clarifications.

Understanding your rights under the Criminal Procedure Act is possible with the help of our South African lawyers. In summary, the Act treats the following matters:

Information on the prosecuting authority, search warrants, seizure and forfeiture;
Arrests, summons, bail, release on warning;
The summary trial, the charge, the plea, plea of not guilty;
The conduct of the trial before the Superior Court, the conduct of proceedings, previous convictions, and sentencing.

Criminal offences in South Africa

Crimes committed in South Africa are divided into several categories, called schedules. For example, Schedule 1 offences are serious in nature, but not as serious as Schedule 6 ones. Our criminal lawyers in South Africa offer some information about Schedule 1 offences below:

These include crimes such as theft, assault, fraud, and breaking and entering. We also offer services for foreign individuals who were victims of these types of crimes;
The penalties for these types of crimes include fines, community service, and imprisonment (however, with a shorter specified duration than in other cases);
While Schedule 1 offences are considered less serious than those included in Schedule 5 or 6 (which refer to acts such as armed robbery, rape, or murder), legal representation in court is still advisable. We also offer legal services to foreign clients, such as those from the USA and other countries.

Some examples of fines issued for Schedule 1 offences in South Africa are listed below by our team. Please note that these can be subject to change:

Possession of drugs: between R500 and R1,500;
Robbery: up to R1,500 when no aggravating circumstances are in place and a prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment (first offender) when the crime has aggravating circumstances;
Theft: between R1,500 and R100,000, depending on circumstances.

Our criminal lawyers in South Africa can offer guidance on the types of offences and the schedule they fall under.

In addition to criminal law representation, our team can help you with company formation in South Africa and immigration to South Africa, including obtaining residency in South Africa.

Contact our law firm in South Africa for complete information about our services.