Criminal Defence

"Impressed solicitors note that the individuals at the set represent an amazing level of excellence."

Chambers UK Bar Guide

"The barristers at this set are known for being socially conscious, fully committed to their cases and very imaginative in court."

Chambers UK Bar Guide

“The clerks are easy to get on with, reliable, extremely well organised and quick to respond to calls and e-mails. They work to a very high and professional standard."

Chambers UK Bar Guide

"Garden Court is a chambers of choice for complex, high-profile cases. The quality of advocacy and preparation provided by the barristers is exceptional, and the fine service provided by the clerks ensures smooth case management."

Chambers UK Bar Guide

To contact the Crime Clerks, please email crimeclerksmailbox@gclaw.co.uk or phone

+44 (0)20 7993 7600

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Our criminal defence barristers have defended in – and won – many of the landmark cases that have defined modern criminal law.

The Garden Court Chambers Crime team regularly defend individuals charged with the most serious offences. We have a strong presence at the Central Criminal Court, where our barristers are instructed on a daily basis.

The team is ranked as a leading set in the Legal 500 and Chambers UK Bar Guide.

The Garden Court Chambers Crime Team was nominated for ‘Crime Set of the Year’ at the Chambers UK Bar Awards 2023 and Chambers Bar Awards 2021. In 2015, our crime team won the Legal 500 Crime Set of the Year Award, and we have since been shortlisted for this award a further four times.

Areas of Expertise

  • Murder and violent crime
  • Sexual offences
  • Terrorism
  • Protest and public order
  • Baby-shaking
  • High-value frauds and confiscation
  • Criminal appeals

We are proud to have 17 King’s Counsel in our team. We have the highest number of ranked silks at the Bar in Chambers & Partners.

Multidisciplinary expertise within Chambers means that we are able to call on other specialists. A number of us also practise in the fields of judicial review (in particular, challenges to youth court practice and procedure), extradition, inquests into deaths in custody, actions against the police and public authorities and prison law.

We continue to actively lobby Government on policy proposals affecting the criminal Bar, in keeping with our ethos of defending access to justice.

Past Notable Cases

 

Sally Challen murder conviction quashed and manslaughter plea accepted in “coercive control” case (2019) 
Landmark case in which Sally Challen walked free after prosecutors accepted a lesser plea of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, for killing her abusive husband after decades of psychological abuse. Coverage in BBCGuardian and ITV News.

Stansted 15 kept out of prison following their conviction for endangering safety at an aerodrome (2019)
Defended activists who took action to prevent a deportation flight removing people from the UK and taking those people to countries where their lives were at risk. See coverage in The Guardian.

Jonathan King sex abuse case (2018) 
Represented Jonathan King. Surrey Police apologised and the trial collapsed after defence submissions revealed systematic disclosure failings in sex abuse case of former DJ, Jonathan King. See coverage in The Guardian.

Acquittal at Old Bailey in multi-handed gang murder of music producer (2017)
Represented Uzoeme Emeofa, who was alleged to be one of an attacking group that fatally stabbed Dean Pascal-Modeste, an aspiring music producer, 14 times after he was chased to his death, by a group of young men on mopeds and on foot armed with guns and knives. He was acquitted following a seven week trial at the Old Bailey. The case involved extensive cell site, phone billing analysis, forensic evidence and the piecing together of CCTV footage, along with Automatic Number Plate Recognition.

Jailed whistle-blower in plea for press freedoms to take case to European Court (2017)
Unique appeal to the European Court of Human Rights raising issues of constitutional importance: press freedom and whether journalistic sources can remain anonymous or avoid prosecution if their identity is revealed. Trial brought about by Operation Elveden and prosecution for Misconduct in Public office. See coverage in Press Gazette.

Landmark Supreme Court joint enterprise case (2016)
R v Ameen Jogee & Ruddock v Jamaica (Supreme Court and Privy Council) UKSC 2015/0015; JCPC 2015/0020. The most important criminal case of recent decades which found that the joint enterprise law had been wrongly interpreted for 30 years. Significant media coverage, including by the BBC, The Guardian and Independent.

The Hatton Garden raid (2016)
Represented two defendants accused of their roles in the Hatton Garden safety deposit box raid, described by the judge to be the “biggest burglary in English legal history.”  Covered by the BBC, The Guardian and The Telegraph.

The Omagh Bombing Case (2016)
R v Seamus Daly. Defended the only suspect in the Omagh Bombing, Seamus Daly, who was accused of murdering 29 people. The prosecution case against Mr Daly collapsed after cross-examination of the prosecution’s key witness. Reported by the BBC, The Guardian, Independent and Sky News.

Acquittal of broker in LIBOR trial (2016)
Darrell Read found not guilty of conspiring to defraud by manipulating the LIBOR rate. The case has been widely reported, including in the Guardian and the BBC.

Stacey Hyde cleared of murder in retrial (2015)
Successfully appealed the conviction of Stacey Hyde, previously convicted of murder in 2010. Reported by the Telegraph, the BBC and the Guardian.

Karissa Cox cleared of child abuse (2015)
Two parents found innocent of child abuse after their baby was removed and adopted. Extensive national press coverage, including in the Guardian and Independent.

Collapse of terror trial against Bherlin Gildo (2015)
Case collapsed against Swedish national as prosecution offers no evidence. The case has received widespread media coverage, including by The Guardian and The Telegraph.

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