Criminal Law

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Doughty Street Chambers is widely recognised as one of the leading sets specialising in criminal defence work and is listed as such in the main legal directories. The Criminal Team is the largest team in chambers with over 40 practitioners at all levels of seniority including twelve Queen's Counsel.

We cover all areas of crime, particularly serious crime, and provide advice and advocacy of the highest standard however minor or grave the charge. The team has extensive experience in the Court of Appeal, the House of Lords, the Privy Council, the European Court of Human Rights and international criminal courts and tribunals.

Members of the team have appeared in a number of landmark cases. These include Gibbs and Elenor (life sentences and the setting of minimum terms), Looseley (entrapment), B v DPP (strict liability), Morgan Smith (provocation), Powell and English (mens rea for secondary parties in murder), Venables and Thompson (domestic and European appeals in the James Bulger murder), Lambert (reverse burdens and retrospectivity of the Human Rights Act), Offen (automatic life sentences), Foxley (section 24 Criminal Justice Act 1988), and Matrix Churchill (public interest immunity and disclosure).

Members of the team have also appeared in a number of notable 'miscarriage of justice' appeals including the appeals of the Birmingham Six, the Carl Bridgewater defendants, the Winchester Three, Derek Bentley, Sara Thornton, Kiranjit Ahluwalia, Stephen Downing and Winston Silcott.

We have extensive experience of taking appeals and constitutional motions before the Privy Council on behalf of Caribbean appellants awaiting execution. Team members have been involved in all the major constitutional cases of the last ten years including Reyes, Fox and Hughes, Roodal, Boyce and Joseph, Matthew (constitutional challenges to the mandatory death penalty), and Khan (constitutional challenge to the re-introduction of the felony murder rule in Trinidad). Several members of the team are called to the Bar in other jurisdictions.

We are also one of the few criminal teams with substantial experience in international criminal law. Team members regularly appear in international courts and tribunals such as the ICTY and the Special Court of Sierra Leone representing those charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

We are regularly instructed to represent those charged with terrorist offences including Maguire (BBC and Ealing bombing trial), Sharif (members of family of 'suicide bomber'), and those charged in the 'dirty bomb' and 'fertiliser' trials.

We often act for those charged with political crimes and have appeared in the trials arising from the miners' strike, including the Orgreave trial, the poll tax 'riots', and the May Day demonstrations. We also represent animal rights activists, road protesters and other interest groups.

Several members specialise in extradition work. Cases include Abu Hamza, Raissi (Algerian pilot accused of September 11th hijackings) and Akhmed Zakayev (Deputy Prime Minister of Chechnya).

We are regularly instructed in high profile and serious fraud trials, including the Jubilee Line and the Polly Peck frauds and the cases of Uddin (£119M TIC fraud) and Yiannakas (VAT fraud in which £80 million was claimed by Customs and Excise in confiscation proceedings).

Other high profile cases in which team members have been instructed include the second appeal of Michael Stone (convicted of killing the mother and sister of Josie Lawrence), the appeals of Graham Coutts (convicted of killing the Brighton special needs teacher) and Maynard and Dudley (the 1970s 'headless torso' case), and the trials of Charles (£90 million foiled gold bullion robbery at Heathrow airport), Abdul (riot at the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre causing £100 million worth of damage), Latta ('shaken baby' case), Louise Austin (CPS lawyer charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to prosecution of 'Soham' family liaison officer), and the 'Leeds footballers'.

Many of our criminal practitioners have written, broadcast and lectured extensively in relation to criminal justice and human rights both in the UK and abroad. Several are regular editors or contributors to legal journals or the authors of textbooks on criminal law, courts and procedures including Archbold.

Many senior members of the team sit as Recorders in the Crown Court.

Chambers has a dedicated criminal library and subscribes to all major criminal law periodicals and research databases. All practitioners have access to on-line research facilities and the technical support of an experienced librarian and an IT manager. We consider continuing professional development to be an important priority. Regular public conferences and seminars are organised by the team and we provide a programme of in-house seminars and training for tenants, pupils, and our solicitors.

Team Members

What the Directories say

Chambers & Partners, 2008

Although best known for their public law and human rights work, many of Doughty Street's "stellar performers" handle crime within the context of wide-ranging practices. The set undertakes a full range of criminal defence work and is also well known for specialising in representing defendants in international criminal tribunals. As an appeal lawyer, Edward Fitzgerald QC "is brilliant." A barrister who has forged an unimpeachable reputation over the years, he is so good that "there are whole modules centred around his work being taught on university courses." Another expert appellate lawyer, Patrick O'Connor QC is a veteran of the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six cases. "The possessor of a phenomenal mind," he is "fearless in his addresses to the court." Such qualities were recently demonstrated when he appeared for Salahuddin Amin in the fertiliser bomb plot trial. As well as being "highly affable and a good mimic who goes down well with clients," Christopher Sallon QC is "a man with his finger firmly on the law." Solicitors praise him as "a fine cross-examiner and a master of detail." James Wood QC 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." Colleague Edward Rees QC is "an impassioned speech maker" and "a real fighter." His recent cases have included R v Barot, Jalil & Others, the radioactive dirty bomb terrorist trial. Also recommended is the "fully committed" Paul Taylor who recently acted on a series of cases involving murder and manslaughter.

Chambers & Partners, 2007

Crime
The perception in the market is that this set is home to some "wonderful talent at the senior end of the criminal Bar". Quite rightly famed as a human rights set, chambers is particularly sought-after by those solicitors facing tricky points of law or with cases that need to be taken to the Lords. Its particular emphasis lies on defence and it is regularly involved with matters tinged with a political angle. Edward Fitzgerald QC hit the headlines this year defending Abu Hamza. It is, however, as an appellate lawyer that Fitzgerald "really is unmatched". Patrick O'Connor QC is considered to be a "high octane and legally imaginative" brief, while Christopher Sallon QC is seen to be a "fantastic jury advocate". He has had a good year defending Sion Jenkins. Solicitors favour Peter Thornton QC for communicating complicated legal defences to juries. Siza Agha is considered by commentators to be one of the brightest stars at chambers' junior end. He has recently been involved in some of the largest cases coming out of investigations into organised crime, such as R v Long and Others.

Criminal Fraud
Although not immediately associated with fraud work, this set offers a quality service in this sphere. The team is well versed in Internet piracy, as well as HM Revenue & Customs, VAT and MTIC frauds. Its track record of working on cases such as the Jubilee Line case and Polly Peck is testament to the high-calibre service offered. Michael Grieve QC is "a cerebral lawyer with an incisive mind". He was involved in the second part of the highly publicised Millennium Dome fraud, representing an allegedly corrupt lighting company. Christopher Sallon QC is the one to choose for a case that demands lateral thinking. He featured in the Jubilee Line case.

 

Legal 500, 2007

Eleven silks and thirty-five juniors practise criminal law at Doughty Street Chambers - aligned to the set's work in a range of human rights, civil liberties, judicial review; and prepared for the challenges to come. Geoffrey Robertson QC, Christopher | Sallon QC- feted for his work on the successful acquittal in R v Sion Jenkins, and increasingly favoured on political corruption issues; 'solid advocate' Andrew Hall QC- commended by solicitors and barristers for his work for the Criminal Bar Association; Edward Fitzgerald QC 'fiercely intelligent and committed' and Patrick | O'Connor QC are particularly recommended. At junior level, Jill Evans, David Bentley and Paul Taylor are carving out strong reputations. Wayne Jordash is seen as 'very promising'.

Legal 500, 2006

Crime work at Doughty Street Chambers is closely connected with the set's work in a range of human rights, civil liberties, judicial review and international law cases. In 2005, the set acted in several major war crimes and torture cases. Geoffrey | Robertson QC, Christopher Sallon QC, Andrew Hall QC and Edward Fitzgerald QC are particularly recommended. At junior level, Jill Evans, David Bentley and Paul | Taylor are carving out strong reputations.