Criminal Team
The criminal team provides specialist advice and advocacy services across the full spectrum of criminal work. A number of members of the team have particular expertise in the more specialist fields of regulation, enforcement and quasi-crime cases as detailed below:
General Crime
Members of the team are instructed both to defend and to prosecute all aspects of criminal work, ranging from road traffic infringement and minor assault to serious fraud and homicide. The team provides wide experience in dealing with issues relating to sensitive material, public interest immunity and human rights. A number of the team specialise in cases involving rape and sexual assault and have undertaken additional training. All members are approved to prosecute on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service at levels appropriate to their experience and seniority.
Regulatory Offences
Members practising in this field undertake work throughout the country in the field of criminal infringement in consumer law, including general product and toy safety, food safety, trade descriptions, trade marks, copyright, pricing and video classification. Members also undertake specialist work in the field of health and safety at work. Members of this team, who have extensive experience in relation to the institution and maintenance of due diligence systems, are regularly instructed to represent both enforcement authorities and the corporate retail sector.
The team includes a number of members who appear on the Attorney General's list of approved Counsel (ranging from Level A to C) specialising on those cases involving the Environment Agency, The Health and Safety Executive and housing and benefit fraud.
Asset Recovery & Money Laundering
The team is able to offer specialist advice and representation regarding asset recovery and in the associated field of money laundering. In recent years members of the team have built up considerable experience in dealing with confiscation orders under POCA and predecessor acts, detention and forfeiture of seized cash, advising on procedural matters, acting in applications for various prosecuting agencies and for Defendants affected by such matters.
Members of this Team were instrumental in creating and leading the first ever POCA forum outside of London. This combines the skills of specialist Barristers with those of many regulatory agencies including RCPO, SOCA, complex casework, the Crown Prosecution Service & Local Authorities. This forum enables all parties to learn from each other specialist skills and helps to develop cross agency co-operation and fertilisation.
Expertise is also available in the fast growing field of preventative orders such as ASBOs, SOPOs, and ROSHAs and Football Banning Orders whether obtained post-conviction or within a multi-agency context.
Courts Martial & Military Law
Members of this team regularly appear at Court Martials in the United Kingdom and abroad. The team has specialist expertise in the disciplinary and administrative aspects of military law. The head of the Court Martial team has appeared regularly in the Courts Martial Appeal Court and in the Divisional Court.
Recent cases include R v Buchan (application of limitation periods for civil offences to courts martial) and R v Morton (concerning the ability of one Judge Advocate to bind another as to the basis of pleas). The same person also represented the service prosecuting authority in the case of Al Sweady and Others v MOD which concerns an ongoing judicial review arising from events in Iraq.
Members of the team are available to provide advice and assistance to those awaiting decisions as to the institution courts martial proceedings and to assist and advise those against whom such proceedings have been directed. Additionally the team are available to assist with matters of military procedure and administration.
Prison Law & Inquests
A number of members of the team specialise in all areas of prison law: including parole board hearings, disciplinary hearings, recall of licences, re-categorisations, death in custody, in addition there is a wealth of expertise in the team in appearing at inquests and in judicial reviews.
Licensing
Members of the team also provide specialist advice and advocacy services in the field of environmental protection and licensing, particularly public entertainment, liquor, gaming, hackney and private hire and firearms. We have considerable expertise under the 2003 Licensing Act in applying for and opposing Personal Licences Premises License, Club Registration Certificates, Temporary Even Notices, Interim Authority Notices & Closure Orders.