Criminal Law

OVERVIEW

9BR Chambers barristers specialise in all aspects of criminal law.

Our barristers represent all sectors of society facing criminal issues, utilising they ability to address complex issues that face the vast majority of our clients. These cases range from murder and terrorism to the lesser offences of road traffic and take place in the Appellate Courts, Crown Courts and Magistrates Courts.

All our clients are important to us and our barristers strive to provide a service that results in the best possible outcome. For these reasons we are renowned for our advocacy skills as well as our strategic planning of cases.

See also our pages on our financial crime and corporate law and our international law section. These clients bring the most complex cases to 9BR Chambers as they know our counsel have the expertise and ability to deliver.

How we work

No matter what the area of law, Chambers aim to uphold our reputation for active case management and teamwork. Whether prosecuting or defending, we believe it’s vital to prepare case plans early and monitor progress closely.

We draw not only on our 8 KCs and 56 junior barristers – but on a network of other experts and specialists in the UK and overseas, allowing us to offer solutions to seemingly intractable legal issues.

We encourage clients to come straight to us under the “direct access” rules, which mean it’s no longer necessary to approach us via a solicitor.

Contact us for more information on how we can help you.

Serious Crime

Chambers defend and prosecute cases of the utmost seriousness in the Central Criminal Court and courts across the country. These include trials involving conspiracy to murder; kidnapping; the importation and supply of drugs; and trafficking for profit and sexual exploitation.

In serious crimes, our barristers focus particularly on active case management and team leadership. When prosecuting, Chambers provide a full case preparation service, aiming for a robust, efficient and effective trial. Defending, we can advise solicitors on case preparation and management at an early stage – on occasion before charge.

Chambers has direct access to leading experts in forensics – in areas such as DNA, blood spattering, fingerprints, fibres, handwriting, ballistics, voice and facial analysis, and mobile telephony. Forensic accountants are available for cases of fraud and financial crime.

Where clients are in custody, we can ensure they have regular conferences, either in person or via our video link – through which we can connect to all the country’s prisons directly from 9BR Chambers.

Sexual offences

Chambers have a dedicated team of barristers who specialise in serious sexual offences, along with related offences such as child cruelty, internet offences and child abduction. Our expertise covers matters such as applications under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999; bad character applications; historic allegations; and abuse of process.

Our barristers are skilled in building rapport with children and other vulnerable people – who may be either witnesses or defendants – both during case preparation and trial.

Chambers has access to experts in areas such as DNA analysis, interpretation of medical findings, and psychological or psychiatric factors – and we have the knowledge to question such experts in court.

Many of our barristers are Grade 4 prosecutors and on the specialist rape list. All of us are committed to both prosecuting and defending such cases – considering it essential to maintain our knowledge and standards in either sphere.

Some of our barristers are authorised as Recorders to try serious sexual offences.

Youth Crime

Youth crime is a specialist and evolving area. 9BR Chambers are proud to have an excellent breadth of expertise when it comes to representing children and young adults, and acting in cases where young people are involved as witnesses for the Crown or Defence. Our team is particularly skilled in building rapport with children and vulnerable people from the moment we are instructed in a case. This includes experience of cases where the youth appears jointly charged with other youths, jointly charged with adults and on joint enterprise allegations.

It is crucial, in this important and busy area of criminal law, to ensure that young people are represented by advocates who understand that the factors affecting their lives are complex, and that they continue to be even once a person passes the key ages of 16 and 18. Because of the complexities involved in prosecuting and defending youth crime, 9BR Chambers has a dedicated youth team comprising King’s Counsel and junior barristers, who between them have exceptional experience in this highly specialist area of law. Chambers accept instructions in the youth court through to the Court of Appeal, and all of the team’s members continually undertake the mandatory and voluntary training expected of practitioners dealing with cases involving young people.

9BR Chambers prides itself on providing the highest level of advice and representation across the whole spectrum of youth justice. All pupils undertake training in youth court work, representing young people and handling of vulnerable witnesses in order to ensure a professional and specialised service in this area, and to ensure long term development of the 9BR Chambers Youth Crime Team.

Terrorism

At 9BR Chambers, we have defended in many of the most significant, high-profile terrorism cases to be tried in this country. These cases have included conspiracy to murder, bombing campaigns, conspiracy to produce poison, recruiting teams of suicide bombers, and the funding of proscribed terror groups.

These cases have involved both substantive charges under the Terrorism Acts as well as common law conspiracies to murder.

When preparing such cases for trial, we deploy a ‘team approach’: we work closely with both solicitors and experts in areas such as explosives and ballistics, and hold regular conferences with clients.

Cybercrime

At 9BR Chambers, our practitioners provide advisory and advocacy experience across many niche areas of cybercrime.

The term ‘cybercrime’, of course, is a broad one. On the one hand, it covers criminal activity, from computer-oriented activity such as cyber-attacks to IT-enabled activity such as fraud or theft (for example, cloning bank cards).

But it can also refer to the harvesting of commercially sensitive information from businesses – not necessarily a criminal offence in itself, but potentially devastating for companies that rely on their intellectual property.

Our barristers benefit from a close direct link with a dedicated forensic investigatory team – who can either provide expert technical information or conduct hands-on investigations.

Private Prosecutions

In England and Wales, individuals or organisations have a long-standing right to commence criminal proceedings.

Such private prosecutions span a wide spectrum. For example, the Competition and Markets Authority, Transport for London or the Security Industry Authority may bring prosecutions; or corporations or trade bodies, for example, may use a private prosecution to protect themselves against complex fraud or intellectual property theft, in circumstances where the case’s complexity requires the intervention of specialist counsel.

Companies and individuals may also bring prosecutions if they consider that, by some form of deceit or dishonesty, they have been cheated or caused loss by another company or individual.

CRIMINAL LAW PROFILE

Specialisms

Confiscation / POCA

Cybercrime

Financial Crime

Fraud, Bribery & Corruption

Military

Prison Law

Road traffic

Sexual offences

Terrorism

Youth Crime

Contact

020 7489 2727

"Very good set with some great talent at every level." "9BR Chambers has an extremely strong junior end with no weak links. They are personable, friendly, intelligent and are brilliant advocates." "9BR Chambers have an excellent range of counsel for general and serious crime, especially at the junior end." "‘Real strength under 20 years’ call. An impressive array of young talent."

Legal 500, 2023