James Wood QC

James Wood was called in 1975, and took silk in 1999. Since taking silk he has concentrated on criminal defence work in homicides, fraud, money laundering, serious drugs and terrorism.

He specialises in human rights and criminal appellate work, and he prioritises cases raising political and policing issues. He has been instructed in many high profile criminal appeals both before and since taking silk. His appellate work includes numerous celebrated miscarriage of justice cases, including the Birmingham Six, the Carl Bridgewater case, and cases arising from the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad. He has appeared in numerous reported cases. He appears regularly in the Privy Council in death sentence cases from the Caribbean. His civil work includes actions against the police, inquests and prisoners rights.

Currently instructed in major Muslim terrorist trials (vis the Airlines bombing plot at Woolwich, and R v Suleiman), and the Huntingdon Life Science blackmail plot (R v Avery and others).

Recent cases include:

• (R v Khyam and others) The fertiliser bombing trial at the Old Bailey
• R v Barot and others (the dirty bomb case) at Woolwich Crown Court (for Barot's alleged assistant, Feroze)
• High Court extradition proceedings for Rabeh Kadre.

Recent non-terrorist criminal work:

• R v Firkins (2006 Exeter Crown Court)Bodmin Moor garage murders
• R v Stevenson (2005) The Poole Massage murder
• R v Moran(2005) The Nottingham Jeweller's wife murder
• Various yardie shootings [R v Bennett (London 2004); R v Powell (Sheffield 2004) R v Edwards (London 2003)]; the body on the DLR case(R v Islam 2003); the body in the suitcase murder (R v Mcknight 2003-2004); and the nursing home fraudster (R v Ayrey 2003)

Appellate work includes:

• (R v Choudhery [2005] EWCA Crim 1788 Representing the lead appellant in the "Controlled importation" heroin cases involving corrupt Customs Officials, non-disclosure and abuse of process, and in which mammoth costs were awarded against HMCR [2005] EWCA Crim 2598.
• (R v Yilmaz) in 2003-2004. He acted for the leader of the Turkish London heroin trade, recently securing the quashing of his conviction, and thereafter appearing in his retrial in early 2008.

Publications

• Author of "Right to Silence: Case for Retention" (1991)
• Sweet and Maxwell Practical research Papers on "Stop and Search" and "Compensation in Miscarriages of Justice".

For a detailed assessment of other work contact the clerks.

Silk 1999. Assistant Recorder 1998. Recorder 2000

Year of Call

1975

Year of Silk

1999

Education

LLB Warwick University

Email Address

j.wood@doughtystreet.co.uk

Specialist Teams

James Wood QC is a member of the following specialist law teams:

• Actions Against the police
• Criminal Law
• Extradition
• Human Rights
• Regulatory and Financial Crime