CRIMINAL LAW

Members accept private and legally-aided instructions, both defending and prosecuting. We have prosecutors within Chambers ranging from grade 1 to grade 3, with some appointed as RASSO (rape and serious sexual offences) counsel. We advise on criminal law procedures relating to restraint orders, arrest, bail, search warrants and production orders.

It is important to seek legal advice from an early stage. Our barristers are instructed to prepare pre-charge representations to prosecuting authorities, providing advice on legal rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to avoid self-incrimination, identifying weaknesses in cases and highlighting these issues to investigators, presenting mitigating factors or alternative explanations for behaviour, advocating for alternatives to prosecution, such as cautions or diversion schemes, which may be more appropriate in certain cases and offering support throughout the investigation process.

Our expertise lie within the courtroom settling and our barristers appear for clients across England & Wales, persuading juries in all areas of criminal law.

CRIMINAL APPEALS

We recognise that a wrongful conviction or sentence at any level can have a devastating impact on appellants and their families. We are regularly instructed to draft legal opinion on merits, grounds of appeal and to appear at all appellate levels from appeals against Magistrates’ courts decisions to the Crown Court, to appearing in the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and European Court of Human Rights. We have experience in drafting submissions to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and several barristers have additional expertise in judicial review.

INSTRUCTING OUR BARRISTERS

We accept instructions from solicitors in the usual way. Please contact the clerks’ room at clerks@greatjames.co.uk to discuss your client’s needs and counsel availability.

Public access scheme

We are instructed under the public access scheme. This can be a cost-effective way to secure specialist advice. For all clients we can offer an Initial Legal Advice Session, where for an initial fixed fee, preliminary advice can be obtained to determine whether or not there are any merits in pursuing your case. Please contact the clerks’ room at clerks@greatjames.co.uk to discuss your needs and counsel availability.

We work closely with a number of Solicitors’ firms to whom we can refer cases for those unsuitable for public access.