It may be possible to advance special reasons in order to avoid the normal consequences of a conviction, ie. endorsement or disqualification.
By advancing special reasons you would be admitting that you are guilty of the offence charged, but arguing that there are extenuating circumstances which the Court should take into account when deciding whether to endorse your licence.
A special reason must relate directly to the circumstances of the offence and not just the offender. If the offence is one that carries mandatory disqualification, such as drink driving, arguing that the disqualification will cause hardship to you or your family will not amount to a special reason.
If a special reason is being argued it is for the person relying on it to prove it. This means that you must prove to the Court that your version of events is accurate.
Common examples of special reasons in drink driving cases are shortness of distance driven or spiked drinks. In no insurance cases, a Court may find special reasons if it finds that the person accused of the offence held a reasonable belief that insurance was in place based on a history of their being insurance in place. For example you may be successful if it is proven that it is normally somebody else’s responsibility to ensure that cover has been arranged and you had no reason to suspect that it had not been.
If the Court finds special reasons it may decide not to endorse your licence or impose a penalty that falls below the normal range for the offence.
