Ealing is one of the few outer London boroughs that kept its own magistrates' court. Ealing Magistrates' Court, on Green Man Lane a short walk from West Ealing station, deals with the first appearance in every criminal case from the borough, decides bail, hears the less serious cases to a conclusion and sends the rest to the Crown Court, usually at Isleworth. Criminal defence solicitors in Ealing are in that building most days and know how its lists run.
The caseload reflects the borough. The A40, the North Circular and the Hanger Lane gyratory produce a constant flow of motoring cases: speeding, drink and drug driving, driving without insurance and the totting-up disqualifications that threaten a job at Heathrow or a delivery round. Public order and assault charges come from the bars around Ealing Broadway and Acton. Drugs cases range from possession to county lines operations run through young people, and fraud allegations are increasingly common. Southall's proximity to Heathrow means some clients are arrested at the airport for importation or immigration offences and need a solicitor who knows how those investigations are run.
The case is often decided before court. Whoever is arrested in Ealing, or asked to attend a voluntary interview, can have a solicitor at the police station free of charge whatever their means, and the advice given in that interview changes the outcome more often than anything that happens later. Legal aid continues at court for most people, subject to a means test in the magistrates' court and possible contributions at the Crown Court. Several Ealing firms hold legal aid contracts and take duty solicitor shifts; private clients, often in motoring cases, can usually get a fixed fee.
The criminal defence firms covering Ealing appear below, verified firms first. Our explainer on criminal law and the general criminal law solicitors page describe the process, the guide to free legal help sets out who qualifies, and the London criminal law page covers the capital's other courts.
Verified