Latest News
| September 2008 | Winner of "Leaders at the Bar Awards" – the only set to be nominated by Chambers and Partners in all 3 categories of the Crime awards for "Leaders at the Bar"; 2 Hare Court has won award for "Best Crime Set of the Year" and Orlando Pownall QC has been named "Best Criminal Silk of the Year"; in addition Dean Armstrong was one of three criminal barristers nominated for the award of "Best Junior of the Year". |
| July 2008 | Andrew Radcliffe QC acted for the FA in the successful proceedings against, and the appeal of, Luton Town FC in relation to financial irregularities at the football club. |
| July 2008 | Jonathan Laidlaw QC represented the FA in the disciplinary proceedings successfully brought against Paul Stretford (Wayne Rooney’s agent). |
| July 2008 | Jonathan Laidlaw QC represented the prosecution in the trial of the two men convicted of the murder of Michael Dosunmu (the 15 year old boy shot with a Mac 10 sub-machinegun as he slept at home in Peckham). |
| June 2008 | Acquittal McCartney murder – Orlando Pownall QC represented Terence Davidson who was cleared of all charges in relation to murder in 2005 outside a pub of Belfast man, Robert McCartney; a high profile campaign has been waged by McCartney’s sisters who suspected IRA involvement in crime. Orlando was instructed by Peter Corrigan of Kevin Winters (solicitors). |
| June 2008 | Chris Coltart successfully defends James King, the man jointly charged with Amy Winehouse’s husband of conspiring to pervert the course of justice. Chris was instructed by Barker Gillette and led Hanne Stevens, also of Chambers. Mr King was the only defendant to secure an acquittal, the remainder having previously pleaded guilty. |
| May 2008 | VAT and Duties Tribunal success for Chris Foulkes leading David Bedenham when appearing for HMRC (instructed by Sarah Simmers) in an appeal in the VAT and Duties Tribunal brought by Honeyfone Limited. The Tribunal agreed that the Commissioners had been right to withhold 90% (amounting to in excess of £4.5million) of Honeyfone’s input tax claim on the basis that the mobile telephone deals that the company conducted were connected to fraud and Honeyfone should have known that this was the case. Honeyfone were also ordered to pay 75% of the Commissioners’ costs. This is the latest decision in which the VAT and Duties Tribunal have had to consider the European Court of Justice judgment in Kittel. |
| April 2008 | Lecture on "The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act". Tuesday 29 April. Speakers will be Martin Heslop QC, Sallie Bennett-Jenkins QC and Jonathan Laidlaw. Lecture will cover new legislation introduced under this Act. |
| March 2008 | Jonathan Laidlaw (Senior Treasury Counsel) and Brendan Kelly appointed Queen’s Counsel in March 2008. |
| March 2008 | Smoking Ban – First Test Case. Sailesh Mehta secured successful prosecution in first trial in UK relating to the smoking ban in public houses, pursuant to the Health Act 2006. The defendant was landlord of a pub in which he and his customers smoked in defiance of the Health Act. Sailesh was instructed by Herefordshire County Council. |
| February 2008 | 2 new Treasury Counsel monitorees. Oli Glasgow and Riel Karmy-Jones appointed Treasury Counsel monitorees. |
| February 2008 | Ipswich Strangler case ends with successful prosecution by Peter Wright QC of Steve Wright who has been found guilty of the murder of 5 prostitutes. |
| January 2008 | Sean Cahill, former Millwall footballer and brother of Tim Cahill, Everton's star striker, was represented by Ian Leist, instructed by Corker Binning, at trial following his extradition from Australia. While convicted of GBH, judge found that Cahill had been racially abused and that he had not started the fight. |
Current news
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December 2007 |
Omagh Bombing - Sean Hoey is cleared of all charges in relation to this and other matters; he was represented by Orlando Pownall QC who had been instructed by Peter Corrigan of Kevin Winters (Solicitors). |
| October 2007 | In the case of Secretary of State v MB & AF [2007] UKHL 46 the House of Lords held by a 4:1 majority that the Article 6 ECHR right to a fair hearing in terrorist Control Order cases takes precedence over government claims of secrecy. Zubair Ahmad was junior counsel to AF in the House of Lords instructed by Middleweeks. |
| October 2007 | Sarah Przybylska, a pupil at 2 Hare Court, has won the 2007 Kalisher Trust Essay Competition, an award which enjoys widespread support among leading criminal sets. |
| August 2007 |
Kate Bex qualifies as an accredited mediator in alternative dispute resolution in civil and commercial disputes and is invited to join ADR Chambers as an associate member. |
| April 2007 |
The Semtex Bombers - Longest running ever criminal trial at Old Bailey (18 months), R v Omar Khyan & Others, ends with successful prosecution by David Waters QC of alleged Al Qaeda terrorists. |
| April - September 2007 |
New junior tenants – Quinn Hawkins (1999) was invited to join chambers in May. On completion of their pupillages Vivienne Tanchel joined in April 2007 and David Bedenham in September 2007. |
| March 2007 | High Court quashes Control Order imposed on terror suspect as an unlawful deprivation of liberty. Ouseley J. sitting in the High Court has given judgment in the case of Secretary of State v AF which involved a control order under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005. Ouseley J. quashed the control order on the ground that it amounted to a deprivation of liberty and only the courts, not the Secretary of State, had power to make such orders. Zubair Ahmad was junior counsel to AF instructed by Middleweeks. |
| January 2007 | New junior Treasury Counsel tenant as Jonathan Rees joins 2 Hare Court |