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Siobhan Collins leading Chloe Ashley successfully prosecuted 11 Defendants, obtaining convictions against all of them for conspiracy to burgle and conspiracy to steal....
Mark Heywood KC leading Andrew Wallace prosecuted 6 Defendants and successfully obtained murder and manslaughter convictions against all of them following a 6-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court...
‘Operation Garland’ saw the prosecution of eight men and one woman following the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old man outside a house party in Burton on Trent on 11th December 2021...
Leila Borrington was found guilty of the Manslaughter of 3-year-old Harvey Borrington, following a trial lasting 8 weeks before the Hon. Mr Justice Nicklin and a jury at Nottingham Crown Court....
Harpreet Sandhu KC prosecuted Pierce Whelan who pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of one pedestrian in Nuneaton and causing serious injury by dangerous driving to another on 19 June 2021...
Moving from the employed to self-employed Bar is always a daunting prospect. The benefits of being an employed barrister are persuasive – a regular and stable income, a good pension and annual leave are some of the benefits....
No5's Michael Duck QC and Cathlyn Orchard were successful in prosecuting three armed response gang members for the attempted murder of a thirteen year old in November 2021....
The Bar Council has published a response to the ‘Government’s response to the criminal legal aid independent review and consultation on policy proposals’...
Chloe Ashley, who acted as junior Counsel in the trial of Thomas Hughes last year appeared together with leading counsel, Bernard Richmond QC at the Special Court this week as directed by the Lord Chief Justice....
‘Operation Zeroth’ involved the prosecution of eight men and one woman, following the death of a man in Leamington Spa on 28th June 2020. All nine defendants were charged with Murder (Manslaughter in the alternative) and with an additional count of Conspiracy to Commit Grievous Bodily Harm....
Harpreet Sandhu acted as part of the prosecution team in this case which arose out of the fatal drive-by shooting of Abdul-Rahman Abu-Baker in May 2018...
‘Operation Liminal’ involved the prosecution of four young defendants following the death of a man in Stoke-on-Trent in October 2020. Miss Alex Boult was represented by Phil Bradley QC, leading Steve Hennessy and instructed by Lorraine Horton (Smith Partnership)...
Operation Thatcher was the successful prosecution of five young males for their involvement in the murder of 15-year-old Keon Lincoln. This offence was committed in the Handsworth area of Birmingham in January 2021....
Promoting social mobility and inspiring women to succeed at the Bar are just two of the goals of the new leader of the Midlands Circuit, Michelle Heeley QC...
No5’s Philip Rule defended the ‘Justice 4 The 21 Group’ campaigners Julie Hambleton, Kevin Gormley, John Porter and Michael Lutwyche, who faced trial after refusing to pay penalty notices for an alleged breach of the Covid-19 lockdown measures following a memorial motor rally for the Birmingham pub bombing victims in the city centre on 21 November 2020 which finished with a demonstration outside Lloyd House, West Midlands Police headquarters....
Phil Bradley QC and Siobhan Collins successfully defended JL, who was charged with the manslaughter of his sister’s boyfriend by restraining him in a stranglehold. In a 7-day trial at Leamington Justice Centre, a Jury unanimously acquitted JL after deliberating for just under 2 hours....
On 5th May 2021, following a 3-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the defendant (EJ) was convicted of raping, sexually assaulting and falsely imprisoning prostitutes in the Ladywood area of Birmingham. The case was prosecuted by Phil Bradley QC and Sharon Bahia....
Philip Rule of No5 Barristers’ Chambers was instructed by KRW LAW LLP to represent relatives and supporters of those killed in The Birmingham Pub Bombings 1974...
No5's Crime Barrister Ramya Nagesh will be releasing her new book "A Practical Guide to Insane and Non-Insane Automatism in the Criminal Law" later this year...
In cases involving child abuse or neglect or more serious injuries to children, criminal proceedings are frequently foreshadowed by family proceedings. It is also an issue which arises commonly in cases involving domestic violence. It may be that it assists the criminal proceedings to rely on documentation, evidence and judgments from family proceedings....
A new authority from the Court of Appeal has offered guidance to Counsel on what their professional obligations are when a defendant’s case changes part way through....
We are proud to announce that Philip Vollans has been successfully awarded the Pegasus Scholarship to India by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. The Scholarship is supported by the Kapila Hingorani Foundation, which supports Barristers in developing their practice and understanding of Criminal and Human Rights law within other international jurisdictions....
No5 Barristers' Chambers Crime Barrister Mike Duck QC prosecuted in a recent case of an 18 year old defendant for the murder of a 19 year old student who lived on the same road in Leicester during lockdown...
On 23 December 2020 the Divisional Court handed down judgment allowing the judicial review brought by No5’s Philip Rule and quashing this decision, in R (Purvis) v Director of Public Prosecutions [2020] EWHC 3573 (Admin)....
The Sentencing Act 2020 introduces a simplified sentencing code which applies to all offenders convicted after 1st December 2020. The former sentencing regime still applies to offenders convicted before that date....
A father has been convicted and sentenced for Manslaughter of his 8-week-old son. Jonas Hankin QC led the prosecution team, having been instructed at an early stage of proceedings to advise on expert evidence....
Michelle Heeley QC and Simon Hunka discuss their experiences of trials being conducted in the Covid – era. They offer helpful tips in respect of preparing these cases from the perspective of both Prosecution and Counsel. They offer an insight into the challenges faced by conducting trials in these new circumstances and suggest ways that the courts could move forward....
Ramya Nagesh discusses how Covid-19 as affected the lives of practitioners and non-practitioners alike in her new publication "Covid-19 and the Criminal Law"...
No5 Barristers’ Chambers is committed to protecting the mental health of its barristers, pupils and staff. We have been awarded the Bar Council’s Wellbeing Certificate of Recognition and have in place a robust Wellbeing Policy to provide such support....
Since the decision was taken to effectively suspend attendance at the criminal courts, systems are now coming into place that will allow as much work as possible to carry on using remote video or telephone links and keep the courts as “open” as possible....
This note attempts to summarise the current working practice for Courts and Tribunals in England and Wales: is the court or tribunal simply closed, open for certain business or operating new remote procedures?...
Phil Bradley QC led for the prosecution in the conviction of three defendants charged with conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm in a vicious assault on a woman....
Seven advocates from No5 Barristers’ Chambers were involved the case of a cross-county drugs plot that saw multiple convictions following a 12-month investigation....
Two barristers from No5 Barristers’ Chambers, the UK’s largest set of chambers, are to be appointed to Her Majesty’s Queen’s Counsel by the Lord Chancellor at a ceremony taking place at Westminster Hall on Monday 16th March....
Michelle Heeley QC led Sarah Allen, both of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, in the prosecution of a historic child sex abuse case in which four men have been found guilty and sentenced....
A murderer has been jailed for life over the stabbing of a stranger in the street following a trial prosecuted by a Queen’s Counsel from No5 Barristers’ Chambers....
Counsel at No5 Barristers’ Chambers prosecuted in a trial which saw a lorry driver found guilty of careless driving following the death of a cyclist....
Three men have been jailed for more than 70 years over the fatal stabbing of a 17-year-old, following a five-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court, prosecuted by Michael Duck QC....
A convicted murderer making headlines for warning teenagers of the risks of arming themselves with knives was prosecuted by John Butterfield QC of No5 Barristers’ Chambers at his 2015 trial....
Two cricket tournaments staged by No5 Barristers’ Chambers in memory of a late member have raised a total of £3,375 for the national charity of the Bar – Advocate....
David Mason QC and Sarah Allen are acting for the prosecution in a murder trial in which they allege the victim was “unceremoniously dumped” and left to die on the doorstep of a house in Smethwick....
Michael Duck QC, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, is involved in a murder trial over the death of a 20-year-old who was stabbed during a fight in Nottingham....
No5 Barristers’ Chambers has been officially recognised for the mutual support its barristers and staff provide to ensure their continued wellbeing....
Michael Duck QC of No5 Barristers’ Chambers saw murderer Glen Elvin jailed for life over the death of his cousin in a knife attack following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court....
James Doyle acted for Martina Badiova, 23, of Newcombe Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, who was found not guilty of plotting to spray sulphuric acid on a three-year-old boy with intent to harm....
A lawyer at No5 Barristers’ Chambers has returned from a trip to Africa where he worked with a legal project that supports men, women and children living and working in prisons....
Following a three-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court Michael Duck QC has seen murderer David Olczyk jailed for life for beating Kristof Zwolinski to death....
Jonas Hankin QC, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, acted for the prosecution in a body modification case in which the practitioner admitted three counts of grievous bodily harm ...
A new group has been launched in the Midlands to support women who work in the criminal law as concerns grow over the number of women who are leaving the profession....
Mark Heywood QC, and Tim Harrington, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers are prosecuting six defendants over the robbery and killing of 24-year-old Jaskaran Kang, who died from stab wounds on January 6 last year....
No5 Barristers’ Chambers’ John Butterfield QC is leading the prosecution of a man accused of killing his friend with a single stab wound last summer....
Counsel at No5 Barristers’ Chambers has represented a juice bar and its owner at appeal securing a reduction in their fines imposed due to bogus health claims, which had totalled more than 8,000....
The use of a video link from home for agoraphobics facing a court hearing is a major step forward in the pursuit of justice, according to an experienced Birmingham barrister....
Harpreet Sandhu, of No5 Barrister’s Chambers, prosecuted Barry Northcott, 40, from Southover, Bromley, who denied but was convicted of causing death by careless driving last month....
Michelle Heeley QC and Antonie Muller, both of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, have opened the prosecution in a trial which sees five people accused of using drones to smuggle drugs and mobile phones to prisoners....
Michael Duck QC, Leader of the Midland Circuit, has convicted Paul Emmerson of the murder of Mohammed Miah. Emmerson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years....
Michael Burrows QC and Antonie Muller of No5 Barristers’ Chambers acted for the prosecution in a trial which saw a boxing fan who killed a rival supporter sentenced to 14 years in prison....
Harpreet Sandhu, of No5 Barristers’ Chambers, led Simon Hunka, also of No5, for the prosecution in a fraud trial that saw 12 people convicted of claiming more than 720,000 in maternity payments for babies who did not exist....
Members of No5 Criminal Team support the Criminal Bar Association’s stance and are refusing defence cases with a Legal Aid certificate dated from 1st April 2018....
Matthew Brook of No5 Barristers’ Chambers led the prosecution of a 17-year-old who was ‘hours away from committing an act of atrocity’ in a Cardiff terror plot....
John Butterfield QC of No5 Barristers’ Chambers has opened the case for the prosecution in a drugs trial that is expected to last six weeks at Worcester Crown Court....
Phil Bradley QC of No5 Barristers’ Chamber is leading the prosecution of a trainee GP accused of sexually assaulting five female patients over a 10-day period....
On Friday 16 and Saturday 17 February 2018 the University of Manchester hosts the 2018 National Training Conference for students involved in pro bono innocence projects; Miscarriages of Justice Review Centres; and independent case investigators. ...
Michael Duck QC defends highly talented, world-renowned consultant liver surgeon who pleaded guilty to signing his initials on the livers of two of his patients...
Jonas Hankin QC has opened the case for the prosecution in the high profile murder trial of aspiring model James Brindley. He leads Harpreet Sandhu....
A gang of drug dealers have been jailed for more than 120 years at Birmingham Crown Court following a joint investigation by the West Midlands regional organised crime unit and the National Crime Agency. ...
No5’s Philip Rule returns to UK practice having spent the summer on Grand Cayman working as an attorney with Samson Law Associates. The firm provides a small dedicated team of advocates handling predominantly criminal cases. Philip says:...
Philip Rule presented the appeal to the Court of Appeal that successfully established the application of Article 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights....
In one of Philip Rule’s ongoing cases before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (Minter v UK) the President of the First Section has decided to give notification of the application to the UK Government on 15 December 2015....
In December 2011 the client was convicted of murder but this was quashed in February 2015 following a successful appeal brought by Philip Rule to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). Mr Rule was instructed for the appeal and had not acted below....
