Edward Rees QC

e.rees@doughtystreet.co.uk

Year of Silk

1998

Year of Call

1973

vCard

Download as PDF

Print profile

Profile

Edward Rees QC is a highly regarded criminal defender regularly listed in the directories.

~~"leaves no stone unturned"~~ Legal 500 2012

~~“Always totally committed, brilliantly prepared, and just doesn’t give in; A real fighter/an impassioned speech maker"~~ (Chambers & Partners); ~~'Highly Recommended'~~ (Legal Experts Directory).

He specialises in homicide, public order and mental health cases and has a particular expertise in fraud, money laundering, insider trading and asset recovery law.

He regularly chairs Butterworth's Asset Recovery Conferences. He was formerly a member of the advisory panel to the Law Commission and is an Honorary Fellow of the School of Law, Kent University.

Publications

Blackstone's Guide to POCA 2002 (5th Edn due in 2013) with Richard Fisher and Richard Thomas;
Annual author of chapters on Confiscation and Assets Recovery in 'Blackstone's Criminal Practice'; 'The Law of Public Order and Protest' (OUP 2010 Ed.Thornton)

Homicide and Related Grave Offences

Kanagasingham – Successful defence under ‘New’ Diminished Responsibility law – killing of well-respected London solicitor by pushing under underground train – transgender issues.
Belben - Killing of father by 15 year old - diminished responsibility - negative reaction to Prozac.
Scott – ‘one punch’ murder/manslaughter – complex neuropathology evidence
Gayle – Contract killing by 16 year old of alleged Turkish mafia leader’s wife.
Cadge – conspiracy to murder deft’s ex-boyfriend using professional hitman.
Jama - Asperger's Syndrome as a basis for diminished responsibility.
Martin - Shooting in Tottenham High Road - provocation / Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Trial and appeals of Winston Silcott for the murder of PC Blakelock.
Whitemoor Prison breakout trial.
M25 prison escape trial.
"Bradford Twelve" trial.
Ron Brown MP
The Rettendon Murders (3 men shot dead in a Range Rover in Essex).

Regulatory and Financial Crime

Kumarathas – 137 million Euros bureau de change money laundering
Shah – FSA multi-million pound prosecution of spread-betting insider dealing through UBS and JPMC
Scarrott – ‘Largest ever’ £27 million pound VAT fraud - abuse of executive power/legitimate expectation of immunity from prosecution as result of civil investigation
Met Police v Ward -Sensitive terrorism cash forfeiture proceedings. Large amount in safe deposit allegedly Libyan funding.
R (Chief Con of Manchester) v City of Salford M.C. ~~[2009] 1 WLR 1023~~ - Cash seizure under POCA 2002 of proceeds of sale of goods manufactured by company using illegal entrants
Ajibade [2006] 2 CrAppR (S) 70 - confiscation - Valuation of controlled drugs as benefit
Lewis - abuse of process - £170 million MTIC fraud.

Protest Cases

Barkshire and others - Climate change activists attempt to occupy Ratcliffe power station. Defence of necessity. Undercover police officer. Mark Kennedy, posing as activist.
Bard and others - Climate change activists action at Drax power station. Defence of necessity
Olditch and Pritchard – Attempt to disable B52 bombers at RAF base on eve of Iraq war. Defence of prevention of crime.
Ayliffe and others – ‘The Barry 13’ – Greenpeace volunteers intercept of US ship carrying GM crops – defences of necessity and prevention of crime.
The Orgreave Miners riot trial
The St Paul’s, Bristol riot trial

Criminal Appeals

Brett - Unsuccessful prosecution Court of Appeal application to quash jury acquittal on basis of fresh evidence under CJA 2003
Grant ~~[2005] 3 WLR 437~~ - abuse of process - police monitoring and tape recording of solicitor/client conversations
Nguyen ~~[2006] 2 CrAppR 99~~ – leading authority on bad character
Beckles v UK ~~(European Court of Human Rights)~~ - re: right of silence

Terrorism

Met Police v Ward ~~(Westminster MC - 2011)~~ Sensitive terrorism cash forfeiture proceedings. Large amount in safe deposit allegedly Libyan funding for terrorist.
Barot - 'Gas Limos Project"/radioactive "Dirty Bomb" terrorist trial

Inquiries and Inquests

R v H.M. Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon - ~~(QBD)~~ - judicial review - Counsel for family of airman volunteer unlawfully killed in 1953 nerve gas experiments at Porton Down.
Safi – acted the family of a young mentally ill asylum applicant who drowned in the Thames following his release from a police station in which issues arose as to whether there were systematic shortcomings in the assessment of self-harm risks..

Killen – acted for a young man who fatally stabbed a mentally disordered individual as he himself was in the process of fatally stabbing the young man’s mother.. Issues as to whether the mentally disordered person had been discharged prematurely from a local hospital.