Many prisoners are subject to adjudications (more commonly referred to as “nickings”) on a frequent basis.

There are general Prison rules which cover all aspects of prison offences from fighting, disobeying orders, and possessing unauthorised items – to name but a few.  These “nickings” can have serious consequences on a Prisoner’s liberty, and should always be approached with care.

The first step for any adjudication is for the prisoner to appear before the Prison Governor within 48 hours. The Governor will hear the charge and decide whether or not they can deal with it. If they feel that they can, the hearing will commence, much like a trial, with a plea being entered by the prisoner and evidence being heard.

Unfortunately, there are no provisions for legal representatives to attend these hearings, unless there are physical or mental health concerns for the Prisoner.  Governor adjudications are not covered under the Legal Aid Scheme.

However, here at Reeds, our experienced solicitors are on hand to offer advice about how to handle an adjudication, and in some cases we can help in drafting written representations for a fixed fee.

If a case gets sent to the Independent Adjudicator, this is covered under Legal Aid and we are able to represent a prisoner in person.

A prisoner can receive up to 42 additional days for each charge, so don’t deal with an Independent Adjudication alone.

Contact one of the Prison Law team here at Reeds, today.  Alternatively click here and complete your details and one of the team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

General Enquiries

01865 592670