Dréa Becker

Introduction

Dréa defends in serious and complex cases. She is experienced in handling cases across the spectrum of criminal offences including serious violence, drugs, robbery, fraud and sexual offences. When defending, she is often instructed to represent young and vulnerable defendants.

Dréa was previously instructed by a leading international law firm on a bribery and fraud investigation, and also previously instructed by an offshore firm in a confidential financial services regulatory investigation. This involved a detailed understanding and application of the anti-money laundering and counter terrorist-financing regulatory framework.

Background and Expertise

Before coming to the Bar, Dréa had a career working in humanitarian aid and human rights. She has extensive practical experience and knowledge of the Middle East, specifically Lebanon, Palestine, and Israel. She has experience living in the refugee camps in Lebanon, where she worked as country director for a non-governmental organisation between 1998 – 2001. Following her work in Lebanon, Dréa worked with Oxfam between 2001 – 2003 and lived in the occupied Palestinian territory at the height of the re-invasion of the West Bank, managing refugee-related programming in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Between 2004 – 2005, she managed Christian Aid’s programme in Israel and Palestine. Between 2007 – 2011, Dréa was the Director of Advocacy at Medical Aid for Palestinians, leading the organisation’s advocacy, policy and media work in Europe and the Middle East.

Dréa was a lecturer on the LL.M in International Criminal and Human Rights Law at London South Bank University between 2013-2017. She taught the masters’ level module on the Law of Armed Conflict, an international law course focusing on the conduct of hostilities, means and methods of warfare, the legality of weapons, and the law of occupation.

Dréa was awarded the Lord Mansfield Scholarship in 2011 by Lincoln’s Inn, the top grant awarded to prospective barristers. She is a Commonwealth Scholar.

Notable cases

R v JB, 2023

Successful appeal against sentence; the Court of Appeal quashed the restraining order imposed in the Crown Court, where the (unrepresented) defendant had agreed to the non-conviction restraining order in ‘exchange’ for the Crown offering no evidence.

Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

R v TH, 2022

Successful appeal against sentence; the Court of Appeal found there was insufficient evidence to justify the imposition of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order; the order was quashed. See Hamilton [2022] EWCA Crim 127, and the Youth Justice Legal Centre article on the case.

Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

R v AJ, 2022

Led junior in multi-handed case conspiracy to smuggle migrants in hidden compartments of delivery vans. Acquittal based on detailed examination of phone evidence, rebutting prosecution assertions of adjacent immigration offences.

Southwark Crown Court

R v RP, 2022

Led junior in historic rape and indecent assault case, involving six complainants. The allegations spanned almost 20 years, and offences took place within several family settings as well as role play theatre groups.

Croydon Crown Court.

R v SM, 2021

Led junior in multi-handed case of murder and s.18 wounding. Successful submissions against the introduction of ‘gang’ related bad character; jury directed to return verdicts of not guilty following successful submission of no case to answer.

Kingston Crown Court.

R v RM, 2021

Sole acquittal in multi-handed case of conspiracy to breach immigration law, where defendant was accused of smuggling illegal entrants into the United Kingdom.

Canterbury Crown Court.

R v EB, 2021

Robbery, where defendant was accused of robbing vulnerable victim at knifepoint along with one other. Acquittal.

Wood Green Crown Court.

R v AS, 2020

Appeared for the respondent, where Attorney General sought leave to refer sentence for (several) armed robberies as unduly lenient. Court of Appeal refused leave to refer. See Callum-Smith [2020] EWCA Crim 596.

Court of Appeal Criminal Division.

Read more Notable cases

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PROFILE: Dréa Becker

Year called

2012

Specialisms

Crime

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Confiscation / POCA

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Financial Crime

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Fraud, Bribery & Corruption

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Serious Crime

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Sexual offences

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Terrorism

Disciplinary

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Inquests / public inquiries

International

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International

Military

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Military

Road Traffic

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Road traffic

Contact

020 7489 2727

Education

BA, Politics and International Development, McGill University, 2000.

MA - Middle Eastern Politics, School of Oriental and African Studies, 2004.

LLM - International and Human Rights Law, Utrecht University, 2007.

Graduate Diploma in Law, BPP University, 2011.

Bar Professional Training Course, City University, 2012.

Memberships

International Bar Association,

Criminal Bar Association,

The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn

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