Areas of Specialisation / Areas / Criminal Defence


Criminal Defence

“Garden Court North Chambers has a reputation for criminal defence and civil rights work.” Regional Bar - Northern Circuit Leading Sets, legal 500 2009 more

"The calibre of counsel at Garden Court North was described as 'truly outstanding'. Known for their 'matchless dedication to cases', they enjoy the support of some of the most 'friendly and supportive' administrative staff on circuit." (Chambers & Partners 2009) more

> members of the crime team

Chambers possesses a substantial body of criminal advocates with experience at all levels. In keeping with our founding principles we specialise in defence work and have a particular interest in cases with civil liberties implications. All members of the team are committed to defence work and will actively seek to ensure that a defendant's fundamental rights are protected.

The core of our criminal defence work is in the Crown Court involving all types of serious crime including murder, serious assaults, firearms offences, theft and serious fraud, drugs manufacture, importation and supply, proceeds of crime proceedings and confiscation hearings, IPP sentences, public order offences and sexual offences. The criminal team also has a strong presence in appellate work at all levels including the Divisional Court, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and the Supreme Court. Members of Chambers have brought cases before the European Court of Human Rights. A number of members are experienced in miscarriage of justice cases, especially those referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. We have a strong commitment to pro bono work where public funding is unavailable.

Work in the Magistrates Court is undertaken, particularly in cases arising from political protests and demonstrations. Members of the team are regularly instructed in cases involving Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs).

We take a particular interest in cases with implications for civil liberties and the right to protest . Our more experienced practitioners have appeared in cases arising out of the miners strike of 1984-5, the struggle by print-workers to save their jobs in the dispute with union-busting employer Eddie Shah in Warrington in the 1980s and many other cases involving the struggle for workers' rights as well as activities carried out by environmental campaigners. In more recent times our practitioners have appeared in cases involving animal rights campaigns, cases arising out of the disturbances in Oldham and Burnley in 2001, climate change and anti-road widening protests.

Members of the crime team are also instructed in Inquests , particularly involving deaths in custody and in actions against the police . Practitioners have considerable experience in the Administrative Court in case stated appeals and judicial reviews concerning custody time limits and natural justice. We have successfully taken numerous cases concerning the rights of prisoners .

Recommendations

"Down to earth yet rigorous approach with political clout" (BB, instructing solicitor)

"The calibre of counsel at Garden Court North was described as 'truly outstanding'. Known for their 'matchless dedication to cases', they enjoy the support of some of the most 'friendly and supportive' administrative staff on circuit." (Chambers & Partners 2009) more

"...counsel noted for an unswerving commitment to civil liberties" (Legal 500 2007) more

Members are recommended in Chambers & Partners (2008 edition) more and Legal 500 (2008 edition) more

Reported cases

> Click here to see details of reported cases.

Seminars

The criminal team is committed to education seminars and holds regular update seminars on both legal developments such as the forthcoming seminar series on the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and also on topics with a particular focus on case law developments such as Articles 5 and 6 of the ECHR and ASBOs. The team ran a series of seminars in 2002 on the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on s.23 CJA 1998, delay, prison law, bail, entrapment / admissibility, abuse of process and appeals against conviction and was one of the only Chambers in the North to provide training in the field.

> Click here to see details of our criminal law seminars archive.

Criminal law updates

The crime team produce regular legal updates in order to supplement their seminar training activities. These are availabile on the website.

> Click here to view criminal law updates and how to subscribe by email.

Experienced criminal team

Chambers has an experienced criminal team, and is able to provide Queen's counsel, leading junior or junior counsel as appropriate. Members are instructed by firms from all over the Midlands and the North of England and regularly attend Crown Courts throughout these areas and are highly regarded in terms of experience, reputation, credibility and trust. Each member of our criminal team shares a common determination to pursue vigorously the interests of every client through the achievement of forensic excellence, and we take a particular pride in our proven ability to provide skilled and committed representation at each stage of the criminal trial process.

Members' professional credentials are enhanced by a distinct approachability whereby both instructing solicitors and lay-clients are put at ease. Instructing solicitors will be contacted by telephone prior to any court hearing and the outcome of a case is fed back promptly upon return wherever possible. In relation to lay-clients, members pride themselves on an excellent 'bedside manner', particularly with difficult clients, and will ensure they fully explain the process and prospects of success.



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21/11/11 European citizenship

18/11/11 Surveillance laws

16/11/11 Prison distance learning policy unlawful (HMP Wakefield)

11/11/11 L'pool 'Bloody Sunday'

3/11/11 Mark George QC called to Bar of Northern Ireland

28/10/11 Indirect discrimination

26/10/11 Chambers UK 2012

21/10/11 Philip McLeish joins

18/10/11 Squatting reform

18/10/11 Riot appeals

13/10/11 AXA asbestos appeal

12/10/11 New Ogden Tables

10/10/11 Sarah Daley nomination

6/10/11 Supergrass evidence

3/10/11 Parole: "mistake of fact"

29/8/11 Manuel Valle execution

28/9/11 Teacher cleared (Wilson)

22/9/11 Legal 500 2011

21/9/11 Manchester Legal Walk

4/8/11 Learning disability in prison

3/8/11 Criminal law update

2/8/11 Sara Woodhouse Davie

22/7/11 Murder of burglar (ITV)

21/7/11 Trafficking offences

12/7/11 Joint enterprise

4/7/11 Prison law bulletin

30/6/11 3rd party race discrim

21/6/11 LASPO Bill

16/6/11 Facebook juror

14/6/11 Sex Offenders register

31/5/11 Retention of DNA

26/5/11 Fasting prisoner, Art 9

23/5/11 Sentence Calculation

19/5/11 Lawful containment

12/5/11 Compensation for miscarriages of justice

5/5/11 Vulnerable witnesses

3/5/11 PAS Guardian article

20/4/11 Proportionate recall

31/3/11 Makisi (Homelessness)

29/3/11 Teacher arrest unlawful

29/3/11 Mark Barlow (Radio 4)

28/3/11 Fresh Claims

17/3/11 Hearsay (Confiscation)

3/3/11 Sex Offenders Register

Feb 2011 Housing bulletin

22/2/11 Death Penalty training

14/2/11 Bahrain: BHRC report

11/2/11 Damages: Art 5(1)

8/2/11 Litigants in person

3/2/11 Theft of illegal property?

1/2/11 EHRC Preferred Counsel

26/1/11 Jared Ficklin joins

24/1/11 FNP recategorisation

20/1/11 Art 6(1) and disclosure

7/1/11 Mark Barlow in Rook & Ward on Sexual Offences (4th)

4/1/11 Osborn & Booth

Immigration Law & Practice (8th)

9/12/10 Reverse burden of proof

30/11/10 Whole-life tariff

25/11/10 Prisoner voting

23/11/10 Death at HMP Wymott

23/11/10 Sexual orientation

3/11/10 Pinnock judgment

28/10/10 Raymond Morris

27/10/10 Arizona execution

27/10/10 Matthew Stanbury called to Bar of Northern Ireland

25/10/10 Immigration detention for mentally ill (Anam)

22/10/10 Disab.Eq.Duty (Pieretti)

1/10/10 Equality Act 2010

9/9/10 Succession provisions

Sep 2010 Immigration Bulletin

16/8/10 Cat A (Krstic)

26/7/10 Crossfire shooting

23/7/10 HM (Malawi)

30/6/10 Noone and HDC

23/6/10 Out-of-time appeal IPP

7/6/10 Rape anonymity

18/5/10 US Supreme Court outlaws life without parole for non-homicide juveniles

30/4/10 Whole life tariff quashed

19/4/10 Hannah McIntyre

25/2/10 Assisted suicide

16/12/09 Third party support

16/12/09 Sonny Lodge inquiry

5/12/09 2004 conviction unsafe

30/11/09 IPP transfer- Guittard

9/10/09 BVT: LAG article

2/10/09 "Letter from America"

9/9/09 Michael Shields released

8/7/09 COPD compensation

16/6/09 Murder quashed

22/4/09 Mc'r Admin Court

30/3/09 New QC

12/11/08 Pro-bono hero

23/10/08 "Small but beautiful"

17/9/08 Historic allegations

9/9/08 Dog "Rocky" not guilty

4/7/08 Posthumous appeal

14/3/08 Police on juries?

24/2/08 LCN DNA: Unreliable?

22/11/07 Mesothelioma ruling

12/04/06 Oral sex in public

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