| Year of birth | 1960 |
| Year of call | 1982 |
| Inn | Inner Temple |
| Circuit | South Eastern |
| Recorder | 1998 |
| Queen's Counsel | 2008 |
| Appointments | 1995-2000 Junior Treasury Counsel 2000 to present Senior Treasury Counsel |
| Full CV |
 |
As a junior he was cited in the Chambers and Partners Guide as having, “lethal cross-examination skills and a mean way with closing speeches” and “quite outstanding in his conduct of a case”. Since his appointment into silk he has been described as “one of country’s leading silks”.
Jonathan Laidlaw QC has almost unrivalled experience in prosecuting the most demanding and serious cases brought in this country over the last 15 years as Treasury Counsel. From the first war crimes prosecution, the PIRA bombing of Canary Wharf trial, the Hungerford Bridge murder trial, the Official Secrets Act prosecutions of both Tomlinson and David Shayler, the Jill Dando murder trial, the CCRC reference to the Court of Appeal in the case of Jeremy Bamber through to the prosecution of Dhiron Barot and others (the Al Qaeda cell who had planned pre 9/11 attacks in the US and a UK campaign before their arrests in 2005) and the Al Qaeda attack in London and on Glasgow Airport. He has also appeared in the House of Lords and frequently represents the Attorney General in the Court of Appeal.
His involvement in prosecution work extends to advising various Government departments and the intelligence agencies and he is one of the few ‘developed vetted’ and security cleared counsel. He is highly experienced in the pre-charge preparation of long-running investigations, developing the strategy and in managing and running teams of investigators and lawyers. Such cases frequently involve highly sensitive work and enquiries with consequent PII issues.
Throughout this period Jonathan Laidlaw QC has also maintained a regulatory practice representing corporate clients such as Texaco and Gulf, BOC, Ford, Southern Cross, Esso, BHP Billiton and Fluor. He has also represented the Football Association in major sporting disciplinary hearings.
In his last year as First Senior Treasury Counsel, before returning to develop his defence practice, Jonathan Laidlaw QC will prosecute a member of the Saudi Royal Family alleged to have murdered his aide in London. He is instructed to defend in another major Health and Safety prosecution and to appear in a major Inquest. He has provided advice to a number of private clients in respect of recent high profile police investigations.
Notable Cases
| Case name | R v Noor and Sannoh | Case name | Southern Cross |
| Appearance | Leading for Prosecution | Appearance | Defence |
| Category | Murder | Category | Breaches of Health and Safety Act |
| Detail | Proceedings arose from the murder of Michael Dosunmu – a 15 year old boy shot dead with a Mac 10 sub-machine gun while asleep in his bed at his home in Peckham. | Detail | Proceedings brought against the company arising from death of resident at a care home. |
| Case name | R. v. Saleem, Brooks etc | Case name | Paul Stretford |
| Appearance | Leading for Prosecution | Appearance | Representing the Football Association |
| Category | Terrorist fundraising, inciting acts of terrorism abroad | Category | Breaches of FA and FIFA Rules |
| Detail | Eight Al-Mahajiroun preachers accused of seeking recruits and raising funds for the insurgency in Iraq. | Detail | Appearing for the FA in the disciplinary proceedings brought against the football agent, Paul Stretford, which arose from his acquiring the rights to represent Wayne Rooney. |