Overview A founder member of Doughty Street Chambers. He specialises in human rights and criminal trial and 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. Since taking silk he has concentrated on criminal defence work in all forms of major crime, including homicides, fraud, money laundering, serious drugs and terrorism. 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 in the Privy Council in death sentence cases from the Caribbean. His civil work includes actions against the police, inquests and prisoners rights. He is on the list of approved counsel for the International Criminal Court. - Assistant Recorder 1998
- Silk 1999
- Recorder 2000
- List of Approved counsel for ICC 2010
James is licensed to accept Direct Public Access work. What the directories say James is consistently recognised by both Chambers and Partners and Legal 500 for his work. "James Wood is a 'thorough brief and a clever man' who is 'more than solid'. 'Unstoppable on his day', he studies the details of a case and then 'produces fireworks in court'" (Chambers and Partners). Currently instructed in major Muslim terrorist trials, he has spent 2008, and 2009 appearing for an alleged participant in the Airlines bombing plot at Woolwich Crown Court, his client being acquitted, but awaiting re-trial in 2010 on a lesser charge. Recent cases - R v Griffiths(2010 Birmingham CC) Successful defence in gyrocopter killing case. Hunt monitor kills hunt supporter with rotor blades of his own Gyrocopter.
- R v McCartney(2009-2010 Southwark CC) Successful defence in IRA
blackmail plot, for longest ever serving UK IRA life sentence prisoner.
- R v Carty (2009 Central CC) Murder allegation involving death from repeated stabbing on public highway by defendant acquitted after claiming self defence.
- R v Avery and others (2009 Winchester CC) - Appeared for first defendant in the longstanding Huntingdon Life Science blackmail plot, involving allegations of intimidation and threats against employees and contractors.
- R v Haji and others (2008 Manchester CC) - The Manchester Al Quaeda directing and membership case. Defendant acquitted of funding terrorism.
- R v Yilmaz (2008 CCC and 2004 Woolwich CC) - Major heroin importation for the leader of Turkish drug gang, allegedly involved in the importation of many tons of heroin.
- R v Khyam and others (2007 CCC) - The fertiliser bomb plot trial. Accused convicted after year long trial having been taped by security services making statements derogatory of "slags in nightclubs".
- R v Barot and others (2007 Woolwich CC) - the dirty bomb terrorist case, involving grave allegations of terrorists plotting to create a dirty bomb (for Barot's alleged assistant, Feroze)
- R v Peries (2007 Southwark CC) - Serious corporate fraud, stayed on grounds of non disclosure
- High Court extradition proceedings for Rabeh Kadre (an alleged French Algerian terrorist), and Gilbert Deya (the miracle baby Archbishop)
- R v Lee Firkins (2006 Exeter C C) - The celebrated Bodmin Moor double murder, at the Perch Garage, near Wadebridge.
- R v Stevenson (2005 Winchester C C) - The Poole Masseuse 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 Avery [2009] EWCA Crim 2670. Appeal against indefinite ASBO imposed for blackmail of employees of animal research laboratory. Reported on compatibility with EHCR articles 10 and 11.
- R v Evans [2009] EWCA Crim 2243. CCRC reference in murder concerning expert psychiatric evidence.
- R v Girma [2009] EWCA Crim 912. The accomplices to the 21/7 bombers. Reported on the wrongful admission of the conviction of co-accused
- R v Firkins [2008] EWCA Crim 2981. The Pool Farm murder case. Fresh evidence and Legal professions privilege.
- R v Yilmaz [2007] EWHC 2620 (Admin) on custody time limits, and [2007] EWCA Crim 308 on the substantive PII appeal concerning non disclosure at the original trial in Turkish heroin conspiracy
- R V Willis [2007] 19/2/2007. Non disclosure and fresh evidence in murder appeal eventually conceded by the Crown.
- 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 Hamlett [2003] EWCA Crim 1372. Major fresh evidence appeal for alleged Manchester robbers and gangsters
Publications - The Right to Silence, The case for retention 1985
Memberships - South Eastern Circuit
- Criminal Bar Association
- Liberty
- Justice
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Year of Call
1975
Queen's Counsel
1999
Education
LLB Warwick University
Email Address
j.wood@doughtystreet.co.uk
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Specialist Teams
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