Leon Kazakos KC

Criminal Regulatory

Leon provides advice to and represents corporate and professional/director clients in all types of Health and Safety at Work Act, Planning and Environmental Act cases and has a broad experience of defending in a wide range of regulatory prosecutions. He also represents corporate and private firearm and shotgun licence holders in appeals.

Recent Instructions:

Serious Injury

R v D

This criminal prosecution arose from the very serious injury to and blinding of a man employed by the defendant company to service and repair motor vehicles.

General Health and Safety

R v B

Defence of company director accused a series of offences contrary to the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013.

R v C 

Defending a private individual in a prosecution brought against a caravan site for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act arising out of the unsafe storage and maintenance of gas cylinders and appliances.

R v X Ltd

Defence of a company accused of breaches of the Work at Height Regulations.

Endangered Species

R v N (2018),  R v S (2019), R v S (2022)

Instructed for the defence in three separate cases where private individuals were charged with breaches of the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Regulations 1997. The defendants had, either using various internet forums (Ebay and Instagram) or in retail trade purchased and then sold or offered for sale clothing made from pelts and skins and hair of endangered species. Those species were listed in the annexes to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In two cases the defendants faced further charges brought under the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 for the fraudulent evasion of the regulation of the trade, and the fraudulent evasion of import and export duty. Non-custodial sentences were achieved in all three cases.

Planning Enforcement

R v X Ltd

Defending the Company and its directors in proceedings brought by the local authority for breaches of Town and Country Planning Act 1990, through the operation of a Shisha café

R v C and P Ltd

Defending both the company and its director in protracted confiscation proceedings arising out of historic breaches of planning notices.

R v P

A prosecution brought by the Environment Agency and the local authority for long term abuse of the regulations and serial breaches of enforcement notices over the operation of an unlicensed waste disposal system on green belt land. The case involved protracted legal argument and confiscation proceedings thereafter.

Labour

R v S

Defending a company director against allegations brought by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority.

Environmental

R v E Ltd

A prosecution of a waste management company for serial breaches of the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010 and for misconduct in insolvency proceedings.

R v X Ltd

Defended both the company and its director for breaches of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 involving the unsafe disposal of asbestos.

Explosives and Firearms

R v A Ltd

The defence of a company with branches nationwide,  accused of failing properly to store fireworks for sale.

R v E & B Ltd

Advice to and representation of a firearms manufacturing company in a protracted licensing dispute with the Metropolitan Police.

R v Various

Representation of private individuals in appeals to the Crown Court against the revocation of their shotgun/firearms licences by local police forces.