David Hislop

David Hislop came to the Bar in England in 1988 having qualified and practised for nine years in New Zealand. He is a specialist in criminal law.

His practice covers all forms of serious crime including murder, terrorism and organised crime (violent and financial).

David Hislop practices predominantly as a Leading Junior in major criminal cases. His reputation is "a preparedness to defend the indefensible" and win.

In the last 15 years he has built up a particularly strong practice in the defence of those involved in serious organised crime.

His defence of those involved in serious organised crime includes: R v Sinclair & Ors (Operation Vitric, carousel fraud where alleged loss to Revenue and Customs £168 million); R v Osborn (VAT fraud - £2.5 million); R v Danso & Ors (attempted contract killing); R v Tahir Soylu (importation 100 kg Heroin); R v Sidhu & Ors (mail fraud - £16 million); R v Butler ( VAT fraud £2.1 million); R v Tang (controlling prostitution); R v Vile (CIT Armed Robbery); R v Eldridge (CIT Armed Robbery); R v Shams & Ors (kidnapping, false imprisonment, torture); R v Alvarado & Ors (Columbian cocaine conspiracy).

A large proportion of his current work is as a Leading Junior: R v Severatnam (murder); R v Ahmed (murder); R v Biggs (Child Cruelty - death); R v Mayhew (Money Laundering). Recent leading work includes: 2006: R v Gunaratnam & Ors (double murder); R v McLean & Ors (murder); R v Njoku (murder); R v Duncan (murder); R v Miles (murder); R v Maxwell (murder); R v Cash (murder); 2007: R v McLean No.2 (murder); R v Singh (Murder); R v R v Shams & Ors (kidnapping, false imprisonment, torture)

He has considerable experience in the field of financial crime having recently successfully defended a claim brought by the Crown against Hamin Soylu (R v Soylu ) in the sum of £28 million. He is regularly briefed in confiscation proceedings both in the Crown Court and the High Court.

David Hislop frequently advises for and appears in cases in the Court of Appeal and has registered in the English Courts forensic success for Defendants on European Convention points. He has been instrumental in the quashing of convictions for murder in the Court of Appeal R v Severatnam and R v McLean . His appellate work also includes Commonwealth Appeals to the Privy Council in capital and non-capital cases.

His international experience apart from an extensive common law practice at the Bar in New Zealand, includes lecturing in Human Rights, Advocacy and the Law of Evidence in Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

He further has considerable experience as defence counsel defending those in the Armed Forces having represented Corporal Schofield (rape of his commanding officer) both in Germany and before the Court of Appeal Court's Martial and advising on the referral of the said case to Strasbourg.

He is a current member of the human rights group Liberty and a regular contributor to Butterworths On line Human Rights Commentaries.

last updated January 2008

Year of Call

1989

1979 (New Zealand) ;1989 (England & Wales)

Education

LLB; Diploma, National Institute Trial Advocacy (Denver University, Colarado); Advanced Diploma, National Institute Trial Advocacy (Hofstra University, New York)

Email Address

d.hislop@doughtystreet.co.uk

Specialist Teams

David Hislop is a member of the following specialist law teams:

• Criminal Law
• Human Rights
• Regulatory and Financial Crime