DEFENCE LAWYERS vs. MPI prosecutions
* Ministry of Primary Industries
If you are being investigated or charged with any kind of MPI regulatory prosecution, we are a group of lawyers who have a proven track record in defending clients like you.
Going up against a Government Ministry can be stressful, but our expertise in relevant law and familiarity with MPI practices help you to get your best possible outcome.
There's a risk of you losing a lot more than money. You could also lose your animals, your business, your assets, your reputation … and more. Don’t try to do this alone.
We understand that being prosecuted by the Ministry for Primary Industries (‘MPI’) is stressful and frustrating. The impending prosecution will likely consume much of your thoughts during the day and keep you awake at night.
We also know how difficult it can be for anyone to try to stand alone against an organisation with the resources of a government. Dealing with an MPI prosecution on your own can have you feeling like you’re fighting a battle you just can’t win.
But
there’s no need to try to get through it alone. In fact, we recommend you don’t.
MPI officers have a job to do and part of that job involves evidence collection. That means that what you say may be used as evidence against you.
One of the things we do is to help people avoid making things worse for themselves. For example, you'll want to avoid the trap where you're told that “the evidence is overwhelmingly against you” so "there’s no real point in seeking independent legal counsel". We also recommend you CONTACT US before thinking about accepting the "invitation" to an interview so that you can “tell your side of the story” in the belief that accepting that invitation will eventuate in everything being alright – until it’s not.
CONTACT US before you are tempted to start giving explanations, accepting invitations or taking other risks that unnecessarily assist with MPI's evidence collection that, potentially, may be represented as MPI's evidence against you.
If you’re facing charges under any of the following Acts, then we recommend you GET IN TOUCH WITH US as a priority.
“Just pay the fine and get on with your life.”
Sometimes that is your only choice. But on a lot of other occasions that likely well-intended but not-so-well considered advice may not really be your best choice, because a guilty plea often comes with consequences that involve much more than just paying a fine.
You might not only lose your money, you might also lose your property, your licenses, even your freedoms.
On top of that, for offending in relation to any of these Acts, MPI commonly looks at options available to them under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 which allows them to seize your cash and assets that have been obtained directly – or indirectly – from the proceeds of the crime.
It’s a big net of consequences – and here’s another serious one to be aware of. Having a criminal record can affect your future – it may come up on security clearance checks, affect your job and finance applications, and even limit your overseas travel options. That record doesn’t just go away after you “pay the fine”.
The reality is that paying the fine is often just one of the consequences rather than the only consequence. And paying the fine without
pleading your case the best you can, serves neither you nor justice.
We are a group of lawyers from different law practices who share a common objective to see justice properly applied in MPI prosecutions. So we help individuals, businesses and organisations who are facing MPI enforcement on issues involving an animal, animal welfare, animal products or other animal related biosecurity or food safety matter.
Too many times we’ve learned of people trying to reason, explain or negotiate with MPI Officers. In doing so, the same people often dig a hole deeper for themselves with the things they’re saying.
Law is a process but it's not always a simple one. And you'll certainly want to avoid the mistakes, assumptions and oversights that people commonly make when trying to navigate the legal process alone.
There’s a much better alternative that starts when you CONTACT US.
If you’re being investigated, or been charged, by MPI, then get in touch with us. We'll apply our familiarity with MPI methods, legal know-how, and our expertise and insights about this area of law, to tailor a defense plan for you that fully engages your legal entitlements.
There’s this concept called ‘justice’. In theory, everyone is entitled to it. We believe that you shouldn’t miss out on properly taking advantage of that legal entitlement.
The simplest and fastest way to get in touch with us is to fill in this Contact Form. It’ll only take a few minutes. Then we will contact you. There will be no cost and no obligation to you until we have talked and you have agreed to engage us.
By submitting this form you agree to these Terms and Conditions.
A group of independent lawyers with specialist expertise in defending against MPI prosecutions.
For those being investigated or prosecuted by New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries,
we’re available to provide specialist legal advice, help and representation.