Vox Legis Abogados provides defence and advice in Criminal Law to individuals, business owners, professionals and companies in proceedings of varying nature and complexity.
Our team acts from the earliest investigative steps and assistance to detainees through to trial and subsequent appeals, with experience before Courts and Tribunals throughout Spain, the Audiencia Nacional, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
In Criminal Law, the moment at which a decision is taken can prove decisive. A statement, a poorly planned procedural strategy or a measure that is not challenged in time can shape how the proceedings subsequently unfold.
For this reason, when a person learns that they are under investigation, has received a summons or has been arrested, it is particularly important to review their situation before making any decisions.
Criminal defence from the very first moment
The right to a defence begins with the very first steps in the proceedings.
At Vox Legis we review the procedural situation, the available documentation, the facts under investigation and the possible consequences before defining a strategy.
Our involvement may begin during an arrest or at the moment the client learns of a criminal complaint, private prosecution or proceedings, and continue through the investigation, the adoption or review of precautionary measures, the trial and any subsequent appeals. Each phase calls for different decisions and a strategy adapted to how the proceedings actually develop.
You have been summoned as a person under investigation: review the proceedings before making a statement
Receiving a court summons as a person under investigation does not mean that a conviction exists or that the facts under investigation are considered proven. It does mean that criminal proceedings exist in which your rights must be properly protected.
Before giving a statement, it is advisable to establish, to the extent procedurally possible, what facts are being attributed, what investigative steps have been taken and what the defence strategy should be.
Article 118 of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act (Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal) recognises the right to a defence from the moment a person is attributed a criminal act, and provides, among other things, for the right to know the facts attributed, to examine the case file with sufficient notice, to appoint a lawyer, to remain silent and not to testify against oneself.
I HAVE RECEIVED A SUMMONS →Assistance for detainees
An arrest calls for an immediate legal response.
A detained person has rights that must be respected from the outset, including the right to be informed of the facts attributed to them, to remain silent, not to testify against themselves and to receive legal assistance.
A lawyer's involvement is not limited to being present during a statement. It is necessary to review the circumstances of the arrest, the existing investigation and the decisions that may be taken before and after the person is brought before the court.
ASSISTANCE FOR DETAINEES →Defence of individuals
Criminal proceedings can directly affect the liberty, assets, reputation and personal or family life of anyone under investigation or accused.
Vox Legis handles defences in proceedings relating to offences against persons, property, liberty, privacy, family relationships, public administration and other areas of Criminal Law.
The strategy is defined according to the specific facts, the available evidence, the procedural situation and the risks presented by each case.
Criminal defence for business owners, directors and professionals
When a criminal investigation arises within a company, a financial transaction or a corporate relationship, understanding how the business operates is as important as analysing the applicable criminal law.
Vox Legis has experience defending business owners, directors, executives and professionals in proceedings involving corporate transactions, commercial relationships, movements of assets, financial documentation, contracts or business decisions.
Where the nature of the matter requires it, these proceedings are handled jointly with the specialised Economic Criminal Law team.
LEARN ABOUT ECONOMIC CRIMINAL LAW →Criminal defence for companies and legal entities
The Spanish Criminal Code (Código Penal) provides for the possibility of holding legal entities criminally liable in certain cases.
When a company becomes the subject of an investigation, the strategy must separately assess the position of the legal entity itself and that of its directors, executives, employees or other individuals involved.
Vox Legis acts in proceedings affecting companies and, where necessary, coordinates the criminal defence with a review of prevention systems and Corporate Compliance.
Main areas of criminal practice
The experience of Vox Legis lawyers covers proceedings relating to different areas of Criminal Law.
These include economic and property offences, corporate offences, offences against public administration, offences against persons, offences against liberty and privacy, forgery offences, offences against family relationships, sexual offences, crime linked to the digital environment and proceedings falling under juvenile criminal jurisdiction.
The firm's practice also covers other criminal proceedings whose complexity may require specialised teams or coordination with professionals from other areas.
Economic Criminal Law and Corporate Criminal Law
A particularly significant part of Vox Legis's activity is concentrated on Economic and Corporate Criminal Law proceedings.
Fraud, misappropriation, fraudulent administration, corporate offences, money laundering, offences against the Public Treasury, culpable insolvency, corruption and the criminal liability of legal entities frequently present a complexity that requires the simultaneous analysis of criminal, procedural, financial, corporate and asset-related issues.
Vox Legis has a dedicated Economic Criminal Law team focused on this type of proceedings.
LEARN ABOUT ECONOMIC CRIMINAL LAW →Precautionary measures
During a criminal investigation, measures may be adopted that produce immediate consequences even before the trial takes place.
Pre-trial detention, restraining or no-contact orders, passport confiscation, periodic court appearances, asset seizures, account freezes and other precautionary measures can have a profound effect on the personal or financial situation of the person under investigation.
The defence must examine both the legal requirements for the measure and its necessity, proportionality and possible challenge.
PRE-TRIAL DETENTION AND PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES →Proceedings before the Audiencia Nacional
Vox Legis lawyers have experience in proceedings before the Audiencia Nacional, including particularly complex matters, Economic Criminal Law, money laundering, extradition and proceedings with international elements.
Acting in these matters requires familiarity with the particularities of proceedings before the Juzgados Centrales de Instrucción (Central Examining Courts), the various Sections of the Criminal Division and the Appeals Division.
DEFENCE BEFORE THE AUDIENCIA NACIONAL →Criminal appeals
The defence does not necessarily end with the judgment handed down at first instance.
Depending on the proceedings and the ruling concerned, remedies for reconsideration, appeal, cassation and, where the relevant constitutional requirements are met, an amparo appeal before the Constitutional Court may be available.
Vox Legis lawyers have experience with appeals before different courts, including the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
CRIMINAL APPEALS →Negotiation and plea agreements
Not every criminal case has to end in trial. At certain stages there may be scope to negotiate the legal characterisation of the offence, the sentence or civil liability, without this obliging the client to accept an agreement if the defence considers it preferable to proceed to trial.
PLEA AGREEMENTS AND CRIMINAL NEGOTIATION →Verifiable experience
The track record of Vox Legis has been built through its lawyers' involvement in criminal proceedings of varying nature and complexity.
Among the publicly available rulings linked to the firm's members are proceedings before the Audiencia Nacional, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court, together with matters before Provincial Courts (Audiencias Provinciales) and Higher Courts of Justice (Tribunales Superiores de Justicia).
Right to liberty · pre-trial detention · amparo appeal. The Constitutional Court identifies Francisco Miranda Velasco as the lead counsel for amparo appeal 718/2023.
Our Experience and Relevant Proceedings section allows you to consult a wider selection of matters, identifying, where possible, the court, the subject matter, the lawyers involved and the corresponding ruling or public source.
VIEW EXPERIENCE AND RELEVANT PROCEEDINGS →A criminal law team
Complex matters do not necessarily depend on a single professional.
Vox Legis has lawyers with different backgrounds and areas of practice within Criminal Law. Depending on the characteristics of the case, the defence may be handled individually or through coordinated teams bringing together the knowledge needed to address every issue involved.
The team's experience covers Criminal Law, Economic Criminal Law, Criminal Procedural Law, Prison Law, international proceedings, corporate liability and other specialised areas.
How we work
Analyse before deciding
We study the proceedings, the documentation and the procedural situation before defining the strategy.
Explain risks and alternatives
The client must understand their situation and the consequences that may result from each decision.
Design a tailored strategy
No two cases are identical. The strategy must respond to the facts, the available evidence and the specific circumstances.
Work as a team when the matter requires it
Particularly complex proceedings may require the coordinated involvement of different lawyers and professionals.
Keep the client informed
A proper defence requires communication throughout the different stages of the proceedings.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I am summoned as a person under investigation?
Can I refuse to make a statement?
What rights do I have if I am arrested?
How long can an arrest last?
What is the difference between a person under investigation and a defendant?
When can pre-trial detention be ordered?
Can a company be criminally investigated?
What happens if the proceedings affect the company and its directors?
What remedies are available against a criminal ruling?
When does the Audiencia Nacional have jurisdiction?
Can Vox Legis handle proceedings outside the client's city?
Does criminal defence end with the judgment?
Practising throughout Spain
Vox Legis has offices in Madrid, Marbella, Seville and Oviedo and handles proceedings before courts throughout Spain.
The client's location does not prevent us from taking on their defence when proceedings are being conducted in another province or before a court with national jurisdiction.
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