29/07/2025
Exceptional Hardship Appeal – Driving Ban Lifted
Client: Mr Daniel Grant (pseudonym)
Court: Croydon Crown Court
Date: 28 July 2025
Outcome: Disqualification Removed, Costs Awarded
Solicitor: Mahmun Kaderi, Luris Vince Solicitors
Mr Daniel Grant came to us after receiving a six-month driving ban for multiple speeding offences under a local 20mph traffic order in South London. He had previously represented himself at the Magistrates’ Court and was unsuccessful in persuading the court not to impose the disqualification.
Following our instruction, I met with Mr Grant, examined the court bundle in detail, and took full instructions in preparation for the Crown Court appeal. He accepted the underlying offences but sought to demonstrate that a driving ban would cause exceptional hardship.
Mr Grant, aged 62, is undergoing radiotherapy for prostate cancer. One of the side effects of his treatment is the urgent and frequent need to urinate—something that cannot be managed practically or with dignity on public transport. His immune system is also significantly weakened, putting him at increased risk of serious illness when travelling in crowded public spaces.
His wife, who suffers from mobility issues, relies on him for transport to medical appointments. In addition, she cares for her 90-year-old mother, but Mr Grant is the one who drives her to and from her mother’s home. Without his licence, both women would be left without the support they depend on.
Mr Grant also drives for a living as a private hire driver. The disqualification had effectively cut off his only means of income at a time when his options were limited due to ill health.
At the Crown Court hearing, he gave live evidence and was cross-examined. The judge accepted that removing his ability to drive would cause real hardship not only to him but to vulnerable members of his household. The appeal was allowed, the disqualification lifted, and a costs order granted in his favour.