Sonia Birdee

Practice

Criminal law experience
Sonia undertakes a wide range of criminal defence work in the Crown and magistrates’ courts including serious violent crime such as sexual assault and assault, kidnap and violent disorder (including Section 18 offences), public disorder, ASBO proceedings, dishonesty including benefit fraud, arson, robbery, affray, burglary, theft, criminal damage, defending charges of fly tipping, Sexual Offence Prevention Orders, POCA and confiscation proceedings and immigration / passport and identity card offences.

Also has experience in Divisional Court and Court of Appeal (including a sentence appeal against a finding of dangerousness) and has recently advised extensively on a Judicial Review challenge on the ground of bias.

Extensive experience of representing juveniles in trials in both the Youth Court and Crown Court. Also has experience of representing vulnerable defendants generally, including proceedings involving fitness to plead arguments. Also has a keen interest in cases with civil liberties implications.

Recent cases have included:

• Represented youth in Crown Court on multi-handed multi-count indictment for various robberies and burglaries (2007)
• Impersonating a police officer (2007)
• S v Director of Public Prosecutions [2006] EWHC 1207 (Admin) (appeal against conviction by way of case stated; refusal of adjournment, right to fair trial) judgment
• Sexual offences: allegations by one juvenile family member against another; indecent assault in the workplace (2006 and 2007).
• Represented defendant in Crown Court trial for historic allegations of indecent assault (20 counts) victims were toddlers at time of abuse(2006)
• Benefit fraud £50K value - Crown ultimately offered no evidence (2006)

Housing law experience
Particular interest in gypsy and traveller issues. Recent cases have included:

• Charlotte v Herring (2007) Acting for Romany gypsy plaintiffs; site licenses / site regulation.
• O’Connor v Wrexham Borough Council (2006) Acting for appellant Romany gypsy couple; appeal against finding of intentional homelessness; human rights arguments.

Other experience

Before pupillage, Sonia worked as part of the Travellers Advice Team at Community Law Partnership (Birmingham) providing emergency telephone advice to Travellers in respect of private evictions, negotiation with police and Local Authorities over unlawful evictions, site conditions and other duties, preparation of cases for Judicial Review and advocacy in the County Court.

Background

Sonia was previously a tenant at Central Chambers (Manchester) and prior to that undertook pupillage at Albion Chambers (Bristol).