Aftab Jafferjee KC

Aftab Jafferjee KC became the first member of any ethnic minority to be appointed in the 160-year history of Treasury Counsel, when appointed Junior Treasury Counsel in 1997. 

He was appointed Senior Treasury Counsel just four years later. Aftab appeared primarily at the Central Criminal Court, dealing with a wide range of some of the most high-profile cases in the country. They include terrorism, secrets, murder, corruption, and homicide-related medical negligence. 

Notable cases have included the Greek Embassy Siege, the Afghan Airlines Hijack, the British Aerospace Secrets trials, and the trial of the Pakistani Cricketers’ spot-fixing at Lords. Homicide cases have included the first British cannibal killings, the Harrow school killing; the 30-year-old cold-case review triple murder of the family of the first black footballer to play for England; the Thames speed boat killing; and the manslaughter case of 39 Vietnamese immigrants arising from a people-smuggling operation.  

He has also advised extensively on allegations of war crimes involving British soldiers in Iraq. 

In addition to being renowned as a “feared and formidable” advocate and a “brilliant” cross-examiner, Aftab has also been instructed to argue matters of law in the Appellate jurisdiction, including the House of Lords (R v Webber; R v Benson), and R v Smith in the Supreme Court. He has successfully intervened in the Court of Appeal (Civil Division), reinforcing the scope and availability of private prosecutions (Scopelight Ltd v Chief Constable of Northumbria, reaffirmed by the Supreme Court as the authoritative judgement on the subject).  

He is instructed in private prosecutions, including matters connected with litigation in the Commercial Court. 

Fraud cases have included involvement as Lead Counsel into the inquiry against Lloyds Bank and HBOS concerning the manipulation of both the Libor rate and the Repo rate – the latter involving repayments to the Bank of England’s Special Liquidity Scheme; as well as election fraud involving the Conservative Party in the seat contested by Nigel Farage at the 2015 General Election. 

His practice includes both advisory and trial work defending allegations of business-related crime, as well as a wide variety of sensitive criminal and regulatory matters. Recent cases include a £35 million Brazilian teak forest investment scheme and an allegation concerning an £85 million Post Office fraud. 

He is currently engaged in defending allegations of spying for the Chinese Republic in the first prosecution under the new National Security Act. 

Aftab is a past committee member of the Criminal Bar Association, and of the Professional Conduct Committee of the Bar. 

He created the template for the presentation of complex mobile phone and cell-site evidence, which has since been adopted nationwide, for both prosecuting and defending. 

He was listed by The Times as being one of the country’s top ten criminal barristers at/under the age of fifty.