Crime

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From the inception of Chambers in 1984, the work of Tooks' Crime Team has been at the cutting-edge and never far from the headlines, with its members invariably featuring in the major cases of the day. We have brought the highest degree of dedication and expertise to every case - many of which are conducted in the full glare of public scrutiny.

The team extends from celebrated silks of the highest seniority to capable juniors just setting out on their careers. The Crime Team offers a comprehensive service to professional and lay clients, conducting cases from the Magistrates' Court all the way through to the Supreme Court, the Privy Council, the European Court of Human Rights, and other international courts and tribunals. Underpinning all cases that we conduct, from the most complex to the relatively straightforward, is Chambers' unwavering, long-standing and proven commitment to criminal defence.

The quality and ability of Tooks' Crime Team has been consistently recognised by Chambers & Partners and the Legal 500, with Tooks Chambers being recommended as a leading set in crime and praised in 2009 as "an excellent set of chambers with counsel of vast experience, and very efficient clerks"

Work undertaken by the team includes:

General crime:

Including murder; manslaughter; organised crime; sexual offences; violent offences; drug trafficking and other related crimes; people trafficking and facilitation; money laundering; confiscation; dishonesty related offences; and public order offences.

Recent high profile cases include:

• Angela and Ian Gay acquitted of salt poisoning;
• Barry George, in relation to the murder of Jill Dando;
• Smith & Others, acquittals of prison officers for gross negligence manslaughter;
• Brooke & Others, the largest counterfeiting operation to be detected in the UK to date;
• the murder trial of Special Constable Nisha Patel-Nasri;
• the murder of Tulay Goren - the honour killing;
• the Securitas Robbery of £53 million in cash from the Securitas Depot in Tonbridge, Kent, the largest cash robbery committed in the UK's history;
• Brian Haw and other Parliament Square protestors in relation to SOCPA and other offences.

Anti-terror/National security:

With established specialists in the team, rare has been the terrorism case post 9/11 which has not featured at least one member of the team, whose expertise is now harnessed in Chambers' specialist Terrorism Group

Recent high profile cases include:

• the Airline Bomb Plot;
• the 7/7 London Bombings;
• the Glasgow Airport Terror Plot trial;
• the Fertiliser Bomb Plot;
• the Bradford Terrorist Propaganda appeal;
• the 21/7 London Bombers;
• Terrorist Training Camp trial;
• the Muslim Soldier Beheading Plot;
• the Radical Preachers trial.

Appellate:

Pioneering work by members of the Crime team in miscarriages of justice cases, in particular the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four, led directly to the government's decision to set up the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Team members continue to lead the way in taking on ground-breaking appellate work.

Members specialise in appeals which continue to shape and redefine critical legal principles:

• Pendleton, where the House of Lords defined the test for fresh evidence cases;
• Zafar, defining the scope of section 57 of the Terrorism Act 2000;
• Matthews, where the murder conviction was quashed after the original trial counsel wrongly waived privilege.

Work undertaken by the team also includes the exposure of unreliable scientific 'evidence' that had previously been considered infallible and the use of scientific evidence to expose miscarriages of justice:

• the Shaken Baby cases;
• Salt Poisoning case;
• Cot Death (Angela Cannings) case involving biased expert;
• grossly unreliable forensic testing in Guildford Four and Birmingham Six;
• ESDA testing proved fabrication of 'confessions' in the Carl Bridgewater case.

As part of its multidisciplinary approach, the Crime team also works alongside other teams to pool expertise and resources and to provide a more streamlined and efficient service:

Actions against the Police, Inquests and Inquiries:

With its inimitable blend of expertise in criminal and public law, Crime team members have been involved in almost all of the high profile and landmark inquests and inquiries over the last two decades. The team has barristers at all levels of seniority and draws on the set's public law expertise. Past cases include the

• Jean Charles De Menezes Inquest;
• Dodi and Diana Inquest;
• Dublin and Monaghan Bombing Inquest;
• Tom Hurndall and James Miller Inquests;
• Stephen Lawrence Inquiry;
• Bloody Sunday Inquiry;

See Actions Against the Police & Inquests

Extradition:

Members are experienced in advising and representing clients in relation to extradition, having appeared in numerous leading cases. Examples include:

• Kociukow v District of Bialystock;
• R v Karpichkow;
• R v Auchi;
• R v Solimanpoor;
• R v Al Fawwaz & Others.

International Criminal Law & Work in other jurisdictions:

Crime team members have particular expertise of litigation at international courts and tribunals including the ICC, ICTY and the ICTR as well as in various other jurisdictions. Recent notable cases include:

• Prosecutor v Haradinaj et al (ICTY);
• Prosecutor v Limaj et al, (ICTY);
• appeal in the case of Prosecutor v Barayagwiza, (ICTR);

Members of the team are heavily involved in cases of universal jurisdiction and made the first successful application for an arrest warrant under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 for war crimes against Doron Almog. Team members continue to provide representation in US death row cases. A substantial amount of work is undertaken on a pro bono basis. See international law

Members of the team contribute regularly to various legal publications and lecture extensively, both at home and abroad on issues relating to criminal justice. As part of the Legal Snapshots Series, the team offers regular public conferences and seminars to legal professionals in the field available on this website. See Seminars & Events

Ongoing cases

• Baha Mousa Public Inquiry - into the death of an Iraqi civilian in British military custody;
• Advising senior members of the Syrian Army in relation to the UN Criminal Tribunal established following the murder of Rafik Hariri;
• Advising President Omar al-Bahir of Sudan, the first serving head-of-state to be indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

Upcoming cases

• the British Soldier Spy case;
• the Pat Finucane Inquiry (the solicitor murdered in his north Belfast home by UDA members).

Further Information

Further information about individual members of our Criminal team can be obtained using the links to the right. You can also contact our clerks directly:

• Alistair Roberts 020 7841 6114 alistair.roberts@tooks.co.uk

• Kieran McCool 020 7841 6112 kieran.mccool@tooks.co.uk

Recent news

Nick Wrack Represents Anti War Soldier Joe Glenton
Anti War Soldier Joe Glenton was sentenced today to nine months detention for refusing to do a second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Lane Corporal Glenton was initially charged with desertion but this charge was dropped and he pleaded guilty to being Absent Without Leave for over two years. He had planned to contest the desertion charge by arguing that the Afghan war was illegal.
5 March 2010
First Trial Without Jury Begins
The unprecedented trial of four alleged armed robbers without a jury has begun. The Court of Appeal ruled last year that the case should be heard by a judge alone because of the danger of jury tampering. It is the first major criminal trial in England and Wales to be held without a jury, and is taking place at the Royal Courts of Justice
12 January 2010
Four Jailed in UK's Biggest Heroin Haul
Four men have been sentenced to a total of 81 years in jail for their role in Britain's biggest-ever heroin seizure.
11 January 2010
Mother Charged with Murdering Baby Cleared
A young mother accused of murdering her baby has been dramatically cleared. In 2008, Saleha Khatun was charged with killing her 10-month-old son Mohammed, who died from a head injury. The murder charges were dropped when prosecutors admitted they had no evidence. The Judge said he now wants to look at other similar cases.
24 December 2009
Michel Massih QC secures the acquittal of his client in ‘honour-killing’ case
The jury cleared Cuma Goren the uncle of Tulay Goren of her murder. He was also cleared by the jury of the conspiracy to murder the lover of Tulay Goren.
21 December 2009
Government Setback Over ‘Secret Evidence’ for Control Orders
Mr Justice Collins yesterday rejected the Government argument in the cases of two men, BC and BB
12 November 2009
Tooks Expertise Recognised by Chambers UK 2010
In the latest edition of Chambers UK published on the 11th November 2009 Tooks has been recognised as a leading set in Civil Liberties, Crime, Immigration and Police Law. Individual members have been recognised in Administrative and Public Law, Dispute Resolution and Employment.
12 November 2009
Teenage Girl Hid Gun in Handbag
A 17-year-old girl who hid an automatic gun in her handbag for a gang member has avoided a custodial sentence. Chanelle Merryweather, originally from Manchester, concealed the Browning pistol when she and co-accused Sammy Geldard, 19, were stopped by police
6 November 2009
Joel Bennathan QC & Hugh Southey Appointed as Recorders
Joel Bennathan QC and Hugh Southey have both been appointed as Recorders of the South Eastern Circuit.
28 October 2009
Criminal Cases Review Commission Refer Simon Hall's Case to the Court of Appeal
Simon Hall was jailed for life in 2003 for murdering 79 year old Joan Albert in the hallway of her home. He has been granted a new appeal after doubts were raised over key scientific evidence.
15 October 2009

[Image] Crime