Pupils

Shelley Brownlee

Shelley specialises in criminal defence, with a particular interest in youth and vulnerable defendants. She regularly appears in proceedings before the Crown Court, Youth Court and magistrates' courts. This experience includes many contested cases in the Youth Court ranging from robberies to supplying Class A drugs as well as dealing with young and vulnerable witnesses giving evidence using special measures and ABE procedures.

She also has particular experience with domestic violence and difficult harassment cases, as well as ASBO proceedings.

She has been instructed to represent defendants charged with a wide range of offences including dishonesty, public order, violence, drugs and sexual assault.

Shelley appears in courts in London and the South East, but she is happy to accept instructions to appear in courts throughout England and Wales.

James Gray

James' practice is predominantly criminal and almost exclusively for the defence. Before coming to the Bar, James was a full time academic at the University of Northumbria and BPP Law School, London, where he taught a broad range of subjects including European law, constitutional law and human rights.

He has a specific interest and knowledge of death penalty law and practice which he gained through working with Floridian death row inmates in the late 1990s. Since then he has written and lectured widely on the subject for both national and international audiences. 

His interest and knowledge of human rights protections and law, both national and international, has allowed him to promote this primary interest by lecturing in a wide range of arenas. On behalf of Amnesty International James has lectured subjects including the plight of women under the Taliban, the impact of 9/11 on criminal legislation/ practice, methods of execution and extradition law. He continues to enjoy this work and welcomes pro bono cases in his areas of interest.

Jude Bunting

Jude has regular experience in all areas of the law of discrimination. Jude has also acted in a wide range of employment disputes including victimisation, breach of contract, restrictive covenants and unfair dismissal. As a trainee, Jude was involved in a broad range of public law and human rights work; covering education, environment, criminal and community care cases.

Since then, he has continued to develop his practice in this area. He regularly works in immigration law, including High Court emergency injunction applications and AIT hearings. He has also been instructed at all stages of civil claims against the police, from initial advisory work to trial.

Jude has wide-ranging media law experience, from statements in open court to work for the BBC Litigation Department. Jude's extensive advocacy experience has included hearings and trials in education appeal panels, the Magistrates Court, the Crown Court, the Employment Tribunal, the Coroner's Court, the High Court and the County Court.

Annabel Timan

Annabel previously worked as an investigator for the Office of Capital Defense Counsel, Jackson, Mississippi on numerous death penalty cases. She continues to work on death row appeals as an Amicus caseworker, assists with training lawyers and law students and sits on the interview panel for Amicus and is the Amicus Committee member responsible for running awareness events for the charity.

Annabel is committed to pro-bono work with a particular interest in the death penalty and cases in the Privy Council. Annabel is building a practice in Criminal Defence and Prison law with an emphasis on human rights.

Allen Cansick

Before coming to the bar Allen worked in the area of criminal law in both the UK and abroad. Allen worked at the Criminal Cases Review Commission where he was responsible for the management of numerous reviews into cases of suspected miscarriages of justice. He has also spent time as an intern lawyer with the Legal Aid Department of the Ministry of Justice in Malawi working on the defence in a number of death penalty cases. Allen was also an international fellow with the Criminal Defence Section of the War Crimes Chamber in Sarajevo and assisted in the preparation of some of the first war crimes cases transferred from the ICTY to Bosnia's State Court.

Allen is currently building a practice in criminal defence. He accepts instructions for work in both the Crown and Magistrates' Court. Allen has a particular interest in work involving miscarriages of justice and will undertake some work in this area on a pro bono basis for solicitors.

Zahra Al Tai

Zahra was previously an intern at Karamah: Women Lawyers for Human Rights Washington, on women and children's rights in religious minorities. She was also an outdoor clerk for Taylor Nichol Solicitors in North London.

She has a special interest in crime and immigration, with a particular interest in women and children's rights on the international level having worked with UNICEF, Save the Children, and Human Rights Watch.