Christopher Sallon QC

c.sallon@doughtystreet.co.uk

Year of Silk

1994

Year of Call

1973

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Profile

Christopher Sallon came to the Bar after working for the United Nations in New York. A founder member of Doughty Street Chambers, he has a high profile criminal practice focusing on regulatory and financial crime, bribery and corruption, corporate compliance and pre-charge advice; homicide, including corporate manslaughter; international criminal cases; extradition and mutual assistance; cases which involve medicine and forensic science; all other aspects of criminal law trial and appeal work. His practice also includes health and safety; professional discipline and regulation. In 2008 Christopher was appointed Special Counsel to the House of Commons Constitutional Affairs Committee's Enquiry into Party Funding. He was also appointed as a special adviser to the Commons Public Administration Select Committee in their Enquiry into Propriety and Honours. His written Advice on reforming the law of bribery is annexed to the Committee’s Report.

He has worked extensively in the West Indies, and is a member of the Bars of the Eastern Caribbean and Trinidad and Tobago; a member of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers; a frequent keynote speaker at Butterworths Anti-Bribery Conferences, and recently participated with leading city solicitors and top corporate in-house counsel in a Chambers and Partners Round Table Forum 2012 on the Bribery Act and the FCPA. Licenced under the Direct Access scheme, Chris regularly provides companies and individuals with compliance and pre-charge advice.

Formerly the Bar Council's Chairman of Public Affairs, Christopher writes, broadcasts on radio and appears on television. He took part in the BBC's three-part series 'Trial by Jury', and most recently with Clive Anderson, Lord Justice Alan Moses and Dinah Rose QC on Unreliable Evidence, and Radio 4’s World this Weekend. He has lectured on comparative civil liberties issues at universities throughout the US, including Yale and Stamford; in May 2012, he delivered a speech at Oxford University on the regulation and independence of the Bar. He is a member of the board of the National Campaign for the Arts. He sits as a Recorder of the Crown Court. He was appointed a bencher of Gray's Inn in 2002.

What the Directories Say

~~"Big hitter"~~ Christopher Sallon QC is an ~~"extremely smooth advocate"~~ who is ~~"used in difficult cases when you need to win over a jury and everything is stacked against you."~~ Chambers and Partners 2013

~~"good trial lawyer, who works incredibly hard and is excellent with a jury."~~ Chambers and Partners 2013

“a wonderful communicator who maintains a good sense of humour when handling matters, without allowing this to affect how seriously he's taking affairs." "He produces excellent work and has very high standards of advocacy," sources insist. Chambers and Partners 2012

~~"An incisive cross-examiner and a fantastic jury advocate".~~ Legal 500 2012

"a brilliant trial lawyer with a lovely court manner" and an ~~"engaging advocacy style"~~. Chambers and Partners 2011

Professional Discipline and Regulation

Christopher is a contributing editor to Professional Discipline and Healthcare Regulators: a Legal Handbook to be published in September 2012 by Legal Action Group. His recent cases include:

GDC v Gagoh Defending dentist on health and safety charges.
GMC v W Advising doctor in future fitness to practice proceedings
GMC v T Defending doctor charged with disciplinary offences alleging misrepresentation.

~~Medical and forensic science work~~

Christopher represented the Forensic Science Service in the Home Office Review into forensic work carried out during the investigation into the death of Damilola Taylor. He has advised forensic service providers on regulatory matters, data protection and related criminal justice issues. Recent cases have included:

R v Stretch and Puttock. Acting for the FSS on issues of Crown Court disclosure and confidentiality.
R v Reed, Reed and Garmson Advising the FSS in appeal on methodology and admissibility of DNA evidence in England and Wales.
In the matter of the Forensic Science Service and the Metropolitan Police Advising the FSS on data protection for DNA samples.

Criminal Appeals

R v Powell and English (House of Lords) Redefining the doctrine of joint enterprise in murder.
The State v Charles and others (Privy Council) Joint enterprise.
R v Williams, Yemoh and others Appeal on secondary party liability in murder /manslaughter.
R v Cornwall Appeal on bias following service of journalist on jury in murder trial.
R v Edward Erin (Court of Appeal) Appeal by consultant convicted of administering poison to his mistress in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy.

Homicide and Related Grave Offences

R v Graham Coutts Murder retrial after a successful appeal to the House of Lords. Medical issue: breath control/ accidental strangulation.
R v Siôn Jenkins Charged with murder of foster daughter Billie Jo. Retrials involved multi-disciplinary and complex scientific and medical evidence.

Defence work in cases involving medical or scientific issues:

R v Ruby Thomas and another. Defending in Trafalgar Square homophobic manslaughter. Issue: Brain injury/causation
R v Edward Erin ~~(Court of Appeal)~~ Appeal by consultant convicted of administering poison to his mistress in an attempt to terminate her pregnancy.

Regulatory and Financial Crime

Christopher leads the Doughty Street Regulatory and Financial Crime Team.

~~Current and recent cases include:~~

R v Wadsworth and another. Successful defence of former bank employee who stole £1m in cash. Issue: Duress, clinical depression and PTSD.
R v Scheffer and others (representing UN consultant in relation to the award of contracts for pharmaceutical goods in the Democratic Republic of Congo)
R v Greatrex and Stephens (representing the former Chairman of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers in a fraud on miners’ charities).
R v Ash and Malkin (representing the MD of a leading Swiss based furniture manufacturer alleged to have corruptly procured multi-million pound contracts from Network Rail.
R v Leigh Greest (representing former trader in $15 million theft from Commerzbank, and complex international offshore money laundering operation.)
In the matter of D.R. (advising on breaches of regulatory guidelines by Trustee in Bankruptcy, and applying to discharge a restraint order)
The State v Ferguson and others (Advising the defence on aspects of committal proceedings in Trinidad, involving allegations of corruption arising from the construction of Piarco International Airport, Port of Spain)
The State v Franklyn Khan (on behalf of the Government of Trinidad, prosecuting former government minister for bribery.)
The State v Karamath and others (on behalf of the Government of Trinidad, advising in the prosecution of a company charged with a conspiracy to defraud the government in relation to the construction of a multi-million dollar water desalination plant.