April Lamai is an award-winning Barrister and TEDx Speaker that specialises in personal injury and criminal law.
After successfully completing her pupillage at the Crown Prosecution Service, April was offered tenancy at No5 Barristers’ Chambers.
Personal Injury
April predominantly specialises in personal injury and is regularly instructed to represent both Claimants and Defendants in small claims and fast track trials including road traffic liability disputes, credit-hire and employer’s liability. She also receives regular instructions for disposal hearings, MOJ Stage 3 hearings, infant approvals and interim applications.
She brings to personal injury litigation a high standard of courtroom advocacy, honed through years of contested criminal proceedings. April’s experience as a County Court Advocate at Quest Legal Advocates involved frequent appearances where she was recognised for clear and persuasive submissions, effective witness handling, and robust analysis of evidence.
Criminal Law
Alongside her busy personal injury practice, April maintains a criminal practice, prosecuting and defending in a range of matters in the Crown Court and Magistrates’ Court.
Additional Experience
Before commencing pupillage, April worked as a Senior Caseworker at Advocate (the Bar Council’s Pro Bono Unit) while studying the Bar Practice Course.
Criminal Barrister with in-depth experience in a range of offences and hearings in the Magistrates Court and the Crown Court. Prosecution based pupillage where I prosecuted minor offences and trials in the Magistrates Court e.g., criminal damage, road traffic offences, assault and drug offences, to prosecuting serious offences in the Crown Court e.g., fraud, threats to kill, possessing indecent images of children, wounding and drug offences.
Magistrates Court Hearings include: Trials (including s.172), Guilty Anticipated Plea Hearings, Not Guilty Anticipated Plea hearings, Sentencing Courts and Remand Courts.
Crown Court Hearings include: Committal for Sentences, Appeals against Sentence & Conviction, Bail Applications, Bail Variation Hearings, Pre-Trial Hearings & Case Management Hearings.
Other work undertaken includes writing pre-charge advices for the police, participating in CPS Scrutiny Panels with the police and relevant organisations to review past prosecuted cases and refine better ways to prosecute them. Additionally, delivered law talks to aspiring barristers at the University of Salford and observed ground-breaking trials such as R v X and Y (Briana Ghey murder trial).
April Lamai is an award-winning criminal and civil barrister, as well as a recognised TEDx speaker.
April has a growing civil practice in personal injury, where she regularly acts for both claimants and defendants in credit hire litigation. She has invaluable experience dealing with the full range of credit hire issues, including need, period, enforceability, impecuniosity, intervention, and basic hire rate evidence. Her practice also covers vehicle damage, repair disputes, storage and recovery charges, and engineering evidence – giving her a rounded understanding of quantum in RTA matters.
April is known for her confident advocacy, thorough cross-examination, and commercial awareness, enabling her to identify key issues quickly and present clear, persuasive submissions.
With a professional manner and strong client care skills, April is trusted by instructing solicitors and insurers as a reliable, proactive junior who is able to secure favourable outcomes and handle complex credit hire disputes with precision.
April Lamai is an award-winning criminal and civil barrister, as well as a recognised TEDx speaker.
April has a growing civil practice in personal injury, where she regularly acts for both claimants and defendants in credit hire litigation. She has invaluable experience dealing with the full range of credit hire issues, including need, period, enforceability, impecuniosity, intervention, and basic hire rate evidence. Her practice also covers vehicle damage, repair disputes, storage and recovery charges, and engineering evidence – giving her a rounded understanding of quantum in RTA matters.
April is known for her confident advocacy, thorough cross-examination, and commercial awareness, enabling her to identify key issues quickly and present clear, persuasive submissions.
With a professional manner and strong client care skills, April is trusted by instructing solicitors and insurers as a reliable, proactive junior who is able to secure favourable outcomes and handle complex credit hire disputes with precision.
Acting for the Defendant in a small claims trial where liability and quantum were in dispute, April secured the dismissal of the Claimant’s case and obtained costs for her attendance through persuasive advocacy, robust cross-examination, and effective judicial responses.
Representing the Claimant in a small claims trial, where liability, credit hire charges and repairs charges were in dispute, April successfully secured judgment for the Claimant on both liability and quantum, resulting in a full award of damages and costs through her thorough cross-examination and persuasive submissions.
Representing the Claimant, April achieved a successful recovery of all credit hire charges through precise cross-examination and compelling submissions.
We are excited to announce that April Lamai has joined the Crime group at No5 Barristers’ Chambers. Michael Duck KC – Head of No5 Barristers’…
The University of Law Dean’s Scholarship Award for Excellence | May 2020
› Awarded scholarship based on my advocacy skills in a plea in mitigation exercise as part of my application onto the BPC Programme. I competed against hundreds of Bar applicants.
Potential Unlocked Legal Excellence Luminary Award Winner | 3rd Feb 2024
› Winner of Legal Excellence ‘Highly Commended’ Award for outstanding contributions and transformative impact on my journey to becoming a Barrister and my role as one.
The University of Law’s LLM Presentation Competition | May 2021
› Winner of Street Law Pro Bono Presentation competition on ‘Covid-19 Impact on Criminal Justice System’.
Advocate (Bar Council’s Pro Bono Unit) ‘Volunteer of the Month’ | February 2021
› Awarded ‘Volunteer of the Month’ for exceptional contribution and exceeding expectations on Family Law Team.
TBD Marketing Top 10 Legal LinkedIn Barristers (UK & Wales) | 9th July 2024:
› Awarded Top 10 Legal LinkedInfleuncer from a pool of thousands of barristers due to posting the most impactful and helpful legal content on LinkedIn.
We are excited to announce that April Lamai has joined the Crime group at No5 Barristers’ Chambers. Michael Duck KC – Head of No5 Barristers’…
