Criminal Defence

2 Hare Court is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost criminal sets in the country, which offers specialised and dedicated representation for the defence at all levels of the criminal justice system up to and including the Supreme Court.  

Members of Chambers appear throughout England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Caribbean, and in other International jurisdictions.

Chambers prides itself on the ability of its members to provide to its lay and professional clients:

• outstanding legal knowledge
• clear, timely and focused advice
• robust and effective advocacy

These qualities have ensured that Chambers continues to attract instructions from leading firms of solicitors nationwide.

With seventeen QCs, many of whom are former Treasury Counsel, Chambers offers unrivalled experience and ability in the defence of cases of murder, terrorism and serious fraud. Expertise is provided at all levels in the fields of drug trafficking, armed robbery, blackmail, money laundering and other serious and organised crime. Twenty members of Chambers are recommended in the field of crime by Chambers UK and The Legal 500.

Members of Chambers have appeared for the defence in some of the most challenging and high profile trials in recent years including:

• the Omagh bombing
• 21/07 London bombing conspiracy
• Davis, which led directly to the introduction of the witness anonymity legislation
• the BA price fixing case
• the Victoria Station murder
• the canoe case
• the crossbow cannibal case
• the Sunningdale body in the van case
• the Kieron Fallon race fixing case
• the Victoria Beckham kidnap plot
• the Facebook juror case
• the Twitter bomb joke case

Many cases in which members of Chambers have been involved have been of sufficient public importance to have been heard in the House of Lords/Supreme Court. Examples include the pharmaceutical company cartel case (Orlando Pownall QC), R v Davis on witness anonymity (Malcolm Swift QC), R v G on the interpretation of terrorist offences (Emily Dummett) and R v Gnango on joint enterprise (Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC).

Over the years Chambers through its members has built up a vast body of knowledge in relation to the use and interpretation of scientific evidence including DNA, facial mapping, firearms residue and cell-site analysis as well as the presentation and analysis of complex medical evidence.

Instructions are accepted on both a publicly and privately funded basis. Please contact our dedicated and experienced clerking team who can assist in the selection of counsel appropriate to any case.