Court Attendance - Reduced Ban

Convicted Driver Insurance

Paula74

Member
Hi I was banned for 3 years in Oct 2018. I emailed the court to see if I can request my ban be reduced (as I attended a 12 week DIDs course). I've received a court date which is on Monday can anyone confirm what happens in court? When I attend court on Monday does anyone know what questions I'll be asked or if they will actually reduce my ban or not? If they do reduce my ban do I need to contact the DVLA to confirm this?
 
The court will want to know what has changed in your circumstances since your ban.
saying it is hard without a licence will not cut any ice, after all, it was meant to be a punishment!
you should show what you have done to minimise the risk of drink driving again, by addressing any alcohol issues.
You should show if it will be of benefit for work, supported by a letter from your employer. The sort of thing that is good is if someone else can be employed if you are able to drive.... the benefits to others always cuts more ice.
Perhaps your employer is relocating and unless you get your licence back, you will have to leave the job.
You will have to give evidence about your circumstances and expect to be cross examined about why you cannot continue to use public transport.
You will get a decision on the day, but even if they grant a reduction, it may not be that you get it back immediately (but they generally do do this). You then have to submit an application to DVLA and wait for them to send you details of the medical you must undertake as a High Risk Offender before you get your licence back. read up on other threads on here about people’s experiences......., that process can take months.! And you cannot drive until all that is complete.
I presume you had a high reading, hence the DID’s course so you can be pretty sure that DVLA will want to enquire with your GP, as well as undertaking their medical.
 
The court will want to know what has changed in your circumstances since your ban.
saying it is hard without a licence will not cut any ice, after all, it was meant to be a punishment!
you should show what you have done to minimise the risk of drink driving again, by addressing any alcohol issues.
You should show if it will be of benefit for work, supported by a letter from your employer. The sort of thing that is good is if someone else can be employed if you are able to drive.... the benefits to others always cuts more ice.
Perhaps your employer is relocating and unless you get your licence back, you will have to leave the job.
You will have to give evidence about your circumstances and expect to be cross examined about why you cannot continue to use public transport.
You will get a decision on the day, but even if they grant a reduction, it may not be that you get it back immediately (but they generally do do this). You then have to submit an application to DVLA and wait for them to send you details of the medical you must undertake as a High Risk Offender before you get your licence back. read up on other threads on here about people’s experiences......., that process can take months.! And you cannot drive until all that is complete.
I presume you had a high reading, hence the DID’s course so you can be pretty sure that DVLA will want to enquire with your GP, as well as undertaking their medical.

Thank you for your reply. Am really dreading it! Would I be able to take notes into the court room with me as I tend to panic when put on the spot. I want to make sure I don't miss saying anything that could help me getting my license back sooner. Am desperate to get my license back and am due to start a new job next week. Am going to have to take public transport and am becoming anxious regarding this as I'll have to take two buses. I've previously suffered with anxiety and am not on any medication at the moment. Regarding contacting my GP I referred myself to an Alcohol service after my ban as my ex-husband was taking me to court regarding my children calling me an unfit mother. I wanted to gather as much evidence as possible to confirm I haven't got any alcohol issues. I attend 3 sessions and I was signed off. I also booked myself to have a hair strand test and a CDT test. Hair strand test come back negative and my CDT was 0.5% this was in March 2019. With me referring myself to an Alcohol service will that go against me? Do you think I should mention my self-referral and the tests undertaken when I get assessed by the DVLA doctor?
 
Your self tests for hair and CDT will not cut much ice with DVLA but may well help to persuade the magistrates about your drinking (or lack if it!)
Yes you can take notes in with you to refer to, but quite. Bit of it will be in the form of questions put to you which you will simply answer.
It should run something like this:
The legal advisor to the magistrates (the person sat in front of them) will outline when you were disqualified and what for.
You will state your case for applying for a reduction in your ban.
You will then be cross Examined by the CPS representative (if they have decided to attend, they may just have sent their thoughts on the application) or if they are not there, by the magistrates themselves.
Were you offered a Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course when you were convicted? This will be indicated on your court notes so the magistrates will be aware if you were. If you were offered the course, expect to be asked why you did not take this offer up, because that course would have reduced your ban by up to 25%.
They will then adjourn to consider the merits of your application, have coffee, making you sweat, then emerge to give you their decision.........
 
Your self tests for hair and CDT will not cut much ice with DVLA but may well help to persuade the magistrates about your drinking (or lack if it!)
Yes you can take notes in with you to refer to, but quite. Bit of it will be in the form of questions put to you which you will simply answer.
It should run something like this:
The legal advisor to the magistrates (the person sat in front of them) will outline when you were disqualified and what for.
You will state your case for applying for a reduction in your ban.
You will then be cross Examined by the CPS representative (if they have decided to attend, they may just have sent their thoughts on the application) or if they are not there, by the magistrates themselves.
Were you offered a Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course when you were convicted? This will be indicated on your court notes so the magistrates will be aware if you were. If you were offered the course, expect to be asked why you did not take this offer up, because that course would have reduced your ban by up to 25%.
They will then adjourn to consider the merits of your application, have coffee, making you sweat, then emerge to give you their decision.........

Thank you, I really appreciate your feedback. I was not offered the 'Drink Drive Rehabilitation Course'. Either way its going to take time for me to actually receive my license. Months you say which I was hoping it would be sooner. :(
 
Today is the day I'm in court to apply for my Licence to be reduced. My total ban is up in Oct but am trying to receive my licence back sooner. I'd did apply in Nov last year and it was declined in court. I really hope today is the start of something positive. One of the questions they asked me last time was when I had a drink last. I tend to have a few glasses of wine at the weekend do I say last weekend or do I say it months prior? Not sure if it will go against me if I say last weekend? Am really desperate to have my licence back earlier due to Job reasons. Any advice on things I should say? Many thanks
 
Today is the day I'm in court to apply for my Licence to be reduced. My total ban is up in Oct but am trying to receive my licence back sooner. I'd did apply in Nov last year and it was declined in court. I really hope today is the start of something positive. One of the questions they asked me last time was when I had a drink last. I tend to have a few glasses of wine at the weekend do I say last weekend or do I say it months prior? Not sure if it will go against me if I say last weekend? Am really desperate to have my licence back earlier due to Job reasons. Any advice on things I should say? Many thanks
Not sure if you will see this in time but best of luck. As long as your weekend wine is not over 14 units total ie 2-3 glasses you should be OK. Plus if you ere to say you had given up but the subsequent CDT test proves otherwise. Be prepared to be patient though. My ban was removed in Jan........
 
Not sure if you will see this in time but best of luck. As long as your weekend wine is not over 14 units total ie 2-3 glasses you should be OK. Plus if you ere to say you had given up but the subsequent CDT test proves otherwise. Be prepared to be patient though. My ban was removed in Jan........
Thank you for your reply.
 
Hope it has worked out well for you,
If you are successful you still have to apply to DVLA and go through the medical process, so that will take weeks before you can drive.
You will also have to consider your alcohol consumption ahead of that.
there is a questionnaire about how much you drink and a CDT test which will show up if your drinking is high.
If you succeed, celebrate by being determined to be teetotal until you get your licence back so you do not spoil the opportunity you have gained.....
 
Let me know how you get on as I am in the same situation and will be writing a letter to the court next year to remove my ban early after 2yrs of sobriety good luck 👍
 
Let me know how you get on as I am in the same situation and will be writing a letter to the court next year to remove my ban early after 2yrs of sobriety good luck 👍
Well you, jammy, should be fine as fingers and toes crossed - this pandemic should be controlled by then. Some of us timed things woefully.
 
Today is the day I'm in court to apply for my Licence to be reduced. My total ban is up in Oct but am trying to receive my licence back sooner. I'd did apply in Nov last year and it was declined in court. I really hope today is the start of something positive. One of the questions they asked me last time was when I had a drink last. I tend to have a few glasses of wine at the weekend do I say last weekend or do I say it months prior? Not sure if it will go against me if I say last weekend? Am really desperate to have my licence back earlier due to Job reasons. Any advice on things I should say? Many thanks
Hi

Just wondering how did you get on ?
 
The court will want to know what has changed in your circumstances since your ban.
saying it is hard without a licence will not cut any ice, after all, it was meant to be a punishment!
you should show what you have done to minimise the risk of drink driving again, by addressing any alcohol issues.
You should show if it will be of benefit for work, supported by a letter from your employer. The sort of thing that is good is if someone else can be employed if you are able to drive.... the benefits to others always cuts more ice.
Perhaps your employer is relocating and unless you get your licence back, you will have to leave the job.
You will have to give evidence about your circumstances and expect to be cross examined about why you cannot continue to use public transport.
You will get a decision on the day, but even if they grant a reduction, it may not be that you get it back immediately (but they generally do do this). You then have to submit an application to DVLA and wait for them to send you details of the medical you must undertake as a High Risk Offender before you get your licence back. read up on other threads on here about people’s experiences......., that process can take months.! And you cannot drive until all that is complete.
I presume you had a high reading, hence the DID’s course so you can be pretty sure that DVLA will want to enquire with your GP, as well as undertaking their medical.
What is a DID COURSE?
 
What is a DID COURSE?
Drink Impaired driver programme.
DIDs is designed for men and women who have been convicted of more than one drink driving offence. It looks at individuals' attitudes to alcohol and explores the link between excess use of alcohol and poor emotional management.
I was sent on it and is was run by the Shropshire Probation service by the probation officers and was very useful.
 
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