Chambers are delighted to announce that Mr. Nigel Edwards QC has been elected to the Criminal Bar Assiciation Judicial Liason committee. He was nominated by the Vhaor and vice chair of the CBA appointed Tuesday 12th January 2020.
Nigel Edwards QC leads a team, comprised of Haydee Dijkstal, Ayesha Smart, Annahita Moradi and Dr Chelvan, asked to assist and advise in respect of a young woman’s complaint of Rape, coercive control and domestic abuse against a sitting MP/ former minister. The team will consider the full spectrum of legal remedies including, but not limited to, review of the refusal to charge, referral to the victims commissioner, referral to the independant office for police conduct and private prosecution. Mr. Edwards QC and his team have been instructed in relation to matters of this type on many occasions, each arising out of issues and complaints across the political spectrum.
Sharmila Salvi secured a 12 month consecutive sentence for a serving prisoner who was organising throws of cannabis, tobacco and USB devices into the prison. In her mitigation, she pointed out that the Crown’s approach to take a starting point at Category 3 to meet the interests of justice was wrong. The amount of cannabis fell within Category 4 and the court were required to have regard to R v Bayliss [2013] EWCA Crim 1067.
Ravinder Saimbhi is instructed on a historic allegations trial due to start in mid-February with a time estimate of 2 weeks with complex arguments relating to bad character issues arising from a previous trial and convictions involving connected complainants. Some interesting work to be done on considering the implications of s74 PACE and admissibility of previous trial proceedings into a new case. Instructed by Simone Isaacs at Olliers
Andrew Kerr appeared in Isleworth Crown Court today representing a man due to be sentenced for possessing a mobile phone in prison. He was already serving a sentence of 11 years for firearms offences, but Mr. Kerr sucessfully kept this new sentence to the smallest possible.
Robert Fitt has been instructed as junior counsel for a defendant charged in the “Unaoil” case, said to be the SFO’s largest ever bribery prosecution. The case involves allegations of bribery and corruption in relation to procuring multi-million pound oil contracts from the Iraqi government following the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Robert is instructed by Mary Monsons Solicitors.