Ralph Pickering specialises in criminal law, inquests, and public inquiries. He also has experience in the fields of professional discipline, sports law, consumer and trading standards, and resisting civil orders.
He regularly represents defendants in the Magistrates’ Court, Youth Court and Crown Court. His practice spans the full range of the criminal spectrum. He has represented individuals in Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings following large-scale drug supply conspiracies and has successfully represented Defendants on trial for serious violent offences, including armed robbery and attempted Grievous Bodily Harm.
Ralph has also been seconded to the Law Officers’ Department in Jersey, providing advice on a range of criminal matters, including complex financial crime, serious sexual offences and large-scale drugs importation.
He has particular experience in the field of public inquiries and has been instructed as junior counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Afghanistan since its opening in 2023. He is also a sought-after junior in inquests and has been instructed to represent medical practitioners in a broad range of inquests including Article 2 ECHR and jury inquests.
Prior to coming to the bar Ralph worked as a stage actor, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He is also a fluent Russian speaker.
Ralph has a strong defence practice and has appeared in cases relating to violent crime, firearms offences and drugs conspiracies. He has also represented individuals charged with driving offences in both the Magistrates and Crown Court.
R v BZ Wood Green Crown Court (2022)
Appeared for the first Defendant in a multi handed trial concerning a knife point robbery. The Defendant, who had begun work as a civil engineer by the time proceedings began, was acquitted after a week-long trial.
R v MK Woolwich Crown Court (2024)
The Defendant was charged with dangerous driving and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) against a police officer. Following the commissioning of expert reports the Crown offered no evidence on the count of attempted GBH. The Defendant pleaded guilty to Dangerous Driving and, following mitigation, received a conditional discharge.
R v TE Southwark Crown Court (2024)
Successfully represented a Defendant charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm at trial. The Defendant had been accused of assaulting the complainant outside of a kebab shop in Leicester Square.
R v MM Croydon Crown Court (2021)
As a pupil Ralph appeared in a multi-day Crown Court Newton Hearing where the Defendant disputed his role in a conspiracy to supply class A drugs, namely crack-cocaine and heroin. The case involved complex ethical concerns after instructing solicitors withdrew from the case.
Inquest into death of DM
Represented the medical practice in an inquest into the suicide of a partner at a solicitor’s firm. The inquest centred on the provision of mental health care that the deceased received in the time running up to their death. An expert report was commissioned that found that the care provided by the GP practice was at a good standard, no adverse findings or comments were made.
Inquest into the death of WM
Represented the medical practice in the inquest into the death of a vulnerable individual in care. The inquest focused on the potentially overlooked side effects of the anti-psychotic medication that the deceased had been prescribed by secondary care.
Inquest into the death of BR
Ralph is currently instructed to represent the emergency room clinician in an Article 2 ECHR jury inquest related to the death of a young man restrained by police in a hospital emergency department. The matter has attracted national press attention.
Ralph has been instructed as junior counsel to the Independent Inquiry into Afghanistan since January 2023. He is one of a small team of barristers charged with handling and interpreting vast quantities of highly sensitive evidence that has been disclosed to the Inquiry. He is also closely involved in the collating and review of expert evidence.
His time on the Inquiry into Afghanistan has given Ralph particular insights into the inner workings of Defence, exposure to public law and judicial review proceedings.
Ralph has experience in helping clients resist civil orders. Most recently he successfully represented an individual appealing a Community Protection Notice (CPN). Following the provision of written advice representations and further requests for evidence were submitted and the issuing body withdrew the CPN prior to the appeal date.
Ralph has represented medical practitioners accused of misconduct in front of a number of regulatory bodies including the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council.
Ralph accepts instructions in the field of sports law and has appeared on behalf of the Football Association in disciplinary proceedings. He has a particular interest in anti-doping proceedings due to his background in amateur boxing as both a competitor and as a registered England Boxing coach since 2016.
We are delighted to announce that Ralph Pickering has accepted an invitation to join chambers,…
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