People trafficking and modern slavery are serious criminal offences with substantial penalties for those who are convicted.
If you are subject to an investigation or you believe that there may have been a breach of the law, you should seek legal advice as soon as possible. By having professional representation, you can ensure that your rights are observed and that you do not inadvertently damage your defence.

Legal advice and representation by expert criminal defence solicitors

At Taylor Law we have extensive experience in providing representation and defence for clients charged with criminal offences.
People trafficking and modern slavery offences can be complicated to prove. If there are any errors in the case against you or in the procedure used, or the evidence does not support the claims, we will endeavour to have the case against you discharged.
Our criminal defence team understand the complexities of cases brought under the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Extensive paperwork is often involved and investigations can be detailed and long-running.
It is important to put legal representation in place early on so that any weaknesses in the case against you can be exposed.

Offences under the Modern Slavery Act 2015

The Modern Slavery Act covers offences involving both slavery and human trafficking. Slavery is where a person is kept in slavery or servitude by another and required to perform forced or compulsory labour. If you are accused of this, the prosecution will need to show that you knew or ought to have known that the victim is being held in slavery or servitude and being forced to work.
Examples include forced labour in sectors such as construction, agriculture or the service industry, compulsory work in servitude, being made to work in the sex trade and holding people and requiring their families to pay money to release them.
The maximum sentence if found guilty of slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour is life imprisonment.
Human trafficking involves arranging or facilitating travel for someone with the intention of that person being exploited. It can occur even where the victim has consented to the travel. An example is people smuggling, or bringing migrants into the country illegally. The maximum sentence for human trafficking is ten years’ imprisonment.

Defending allegations of people trafficking and modern slavery

It may be that an organisation or individual with whom you were involved has committed offences under the Modern Slavery Act and that your involvement is limited or that you were unaware of any wrongdoing.
You may have a strong defence if it can be shown that you could not reasonably have known what was happening.
Under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act, it is also a defence to an offence if you are a victim yourself, if you were compelled to act in the way that you did and if this is attributable to slavery.
If we are instructed to represent you, we will look at all aspects of the prosecution’s case and raise a strong defence on your behalf.

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People trafficking and modern slavery are serious offences. As well as imprisonment, the prosecution may seek to confiscate funds and other assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
They may also ask the court to make a slavery and trafficking reparation order against you to provide compensation for the victim.
We have expert criminal defence solicitors in Leeds, Middlesbrough and London who can step in immediately to represent you and deal with investigators and police on your behalf.
We provide a first-rate legal service and have an excellent track record of success.
For an initial discussion, ring us free on 0330 0539147 or fill in our Contact Form.