No5 Barristers’ Chambers has expertise in handling high-profile criminal cases, including murder, financial crime, sexual abuse and drug offences, and is praised as one of the ‘leading chambers of barristers in the Midland Circuit’. Michael Duck KC has an established criminal practice and recently successfully prosecuted two young adults and a teenager who were convicted of the attempted murder of a thirteen-year-old boy in Birmingham’s Hockley Circus using an improvised firearm modified to fire shotgun cartridges; the case involved issues as to cell site analysis and the naming of the seventeen-year-old convicted. Michelle Heeley KC, who is regularly instructed for both the defence and the prosecution, prosecuted an eighteen-year-old who was convicted of killing a seventeen-year-old in Smethwick with what was referred to in the press as a “Rambo knife”; the matter involved issues of rap lyrics evidence. Ian Bridge specialises in criminal defence and has appeared in cases involving death by dangerous driving, while John O’Higgins advises on cases concerning terrorism and sexual offences.
Crime (general and fraud) in
Regional Bar
No5 Barristers' Chambers
Testimonials
‘Andrew Trotter is very helpful and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the case referred to them are managed well and barristers are allocated according to their skill and knowledge to each case. Michael Powell is very efficient and liaises with courts to accommodate listing dates for the client and barrister.’
‘No 5 Chambers have excellent clerks. In particular, Andrew Trotter is very responsive and clear.’
‘No5 Chambers is a powerhouse of a set. It is forward-thinking, progressive, diverse and inclusive.’
‘No5 Chambers is a very good chamber, always helpful and communicates very well, and responds promptly to urgent requests.’
‘No 5 Chambers are a very strong Birmingham set in criminal law.’
Work highlights
St Philips Chambers
St Philips Chambers is ‘one of the best set in the West Midlands’, which ‘offers a high-quality service’ across the criminal law space. The team has significant expertise across a wide range of criminal matters, including drug conspiracies, fraud, murder, sexual offences and regulatory crime. Richard Atkins KC is highly adept at handling serious crime and murder matters – he prosecuted a woman for stabbing her mother to death. Jonathan Barker is regularly involved in multi-handed murder cases and currently represented a TikTok personality accused of being part of a group who murdered two men by forcing their cars off the A46 – the prosecution’s case is that the deceased were blackmailing the defendants. Jennifer Josephs successfully appealed a sentence for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity (the “child” being an undercover police officer posing as one) – at issue was how to approach sentencing for a second similar offence when the law had changed between the first and second convictions. In September 2022, Andrew Smith KC, as was, was appointed as a circuit judge, and in July 2023 Marcus Harry and William Douglas-Jones joined from St Ives Chambers, and in October Rebecca Wade KC, Amy Jackson, Sara Wyeth and Callum Church followed.
Testimonials
‘Hannah Rae is progressing extremely well. Andrew Rourke is reliable and always on hand if there is an issue. All of the clerks are easy to reach.’
‘Andrew Rourke is always friendly, efficient, available and willing to help.’
‘St Philips chambers have a comprehensive set of criminal defence barristers able to cover all aspects of defence work.’
‘St Philips Chambers are the best sets offering criminal defence work.’
‘St Philips Chambers are excellent. It will go above and beyond to assist clients with covering work.’
Work highlights
St Ives Chambers
The criminal practice group at St Ives Chambers has expertise in prosecuting and defending across a wide range of serious crime cases involving homicide, human trafficking and sexual offences.
Testimonials
‘James Harte is highly commended for his down-to-earth nature, responsiveness and communication with clients.’
‘St Ives Chambers offers an exceptional service. Criminal clerks go above and beyond to ensure that desired counsel is available to conduct both hearings and attend conferences.’
‘St Ives are excellent. It has a strong body of juniors dealing with some heavyweight work.’
Work highlights
The 36 Group
The 36 Group stands out as a ‘strong circuit set with strength in depth’, which is active across the spectrum of serious criminal cases. ‘An excellent trial advocate’, Mary Prior KC garners praise for her ‘ability to grasp facts and immediately identify the real issues in the case’ and represented the stepmother of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, first at the original trial for his murder and then in the Court of Appeal, defeating an appeal by the Attorney-General that the original tariff of 29 years was "unduly lenient" and should be replaced with a whole life order. Sarah Gaunt appeared for the prosecution in a case concerning a cybercrime fraud conspiracy matter amounting to £9m, while Nadeem Holland prosecuted seven defendants who conspired to supply shotguns stolen in a burglary.
Testimonials
‘Excellent service offered by the clerks’ room. Michelle Simpson is a real asset to chambers, will go out of her way & beyond expectations to assist.’
‘The 36 group is a welcoming set that maintains high standards of excellence. It prosecutes and defends at the highest level in the Midlands.’
‘The 36 group is a very strong set of criminal practitioners who excel in complex and serious crime, further supported by a strong and proactive set of clerks.’
‘The 36 are an outstanding set, with excellent counsel of all years of call.’
Work highlights
No5 Barristers' Chambers
Testimonials
‘Andrew Trotter is very helpful and is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that the case referred to them are managed well and barristers are allocated according to their skill and knowledge to each case. Michael Powell is very efficient and liaises with courts to accommodate listing dates for the client and barrister.’
‘No 5 Chambers have excellent clerks. In particular, Andrew Trotter is very responsive and clear.’
‘No5 Chambers is a powerhouse of a set. It is forward-thinking, progressive, diverse and inclusive.’
‘No5 Chambers is a very good chamber, always helpful and communicates very well, and responds promptly to urgent requests.’
‘No 5 Chambers are a very strong Birmingham set in criminal law.’
Work highlights
St Philips Chambers
St Philips Chambers is ‘one of the best set in the West Midlands’, which ‘offers a high-quality service’ across the criminal law space. The team has significant expertise across a wide range of criminal matters, including drug conspiracies, fraud, murder, sexual offences and regulatory crime. Richard Atkins KC is highly adept at handling serious crime and murder matters – he prosecuted a woman for stabbing her mother to death. Jonathan Barker is regularly involved in multi-handed murder cases and currently represented a TikTok personality accused of being part of a group who murdered two men by forcing their cars off the A46 – the prosecution’s case is that the deceased were blackmailing the defendants. Jennifer Josephs successfully appealed a sentence for attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity (the “child” being an undercover police officer posing as one) – at issue was how to approach sentencing for a second similar offence when the law had changed between the first and second convictions. In September 2022, Andrew Smith KC, as was, was appointed as a circuit judge, and in July 2023 Marcus Harry and William Douglas-Jones joined from St Ives Chambers, and in October Rebecca Wade KC, Amy Jackson, Sara Wyeth and Callum Church followed.
Testimonials
‘Hannah Rae is progressing extremely well. Andrew Rourke is reliable and always on hand if there is an issue. All of the clerks are easy to reach.’
‘Andrew Rourke is always friendly, efficient, available and willing to help.’
‘St Philips chambers have a comprehensive set of criminal defence barristers able to cover all aspects of defence work.’
‘St Philips Chambers are the best sets offering criminal defence work.’
‘St Philips Chambers are excellent. It will go above and beyond to assist clients with covering work.’
Work highlights
St Ives Chambers
The criminal practice group at St Ives Chambers has expertise in prosecuting and defending across a wide range of serious crime cases involving homicide, human trafficking and sexual offences.
Testimonials
‘James Harte is highly commended for his down-to-earth nature, responsiveness and communication with clients.’
‘St Ives Chambers offers an exceptional service. Criminal clerks go above and beyond to ensure that desired counsel is available to conduct both hearings and attend conferences.’
‘St Ives are excellent. It has a strong body of juniors dealing with some heavyweight work.’
Work highlights
The 36 Group
The 36 Group stands out as a ‘strong circuit set with strength in depth’, which is active across the spectrum of serious criminal cases. ‘An excellent trial advocate’, Mary Prior KC garners praise for her ‘ability to grasp facts and immediately identify the real issues in the case’ and represented the stepmother of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, first at the original trial for his murder and then in the Court of Appeal, defeating an appeal by the Attorney-General that the original tariff of 29 years was "unduly lenient" and should be replaced with a whole life order. Sarah Gaunt appeared for the prosecution in a case concerning a cybercrime fraud conspiracy matter amounting to £9m, while Nadeem Holland prosecuted seven defendants who conspired to supply shotguns stolen in a burglary.
Testimonials
‘Excellent service offered by the clerks’ room. Michelle Simpson is a real asset to chambers, will go out of her way & beyond expectations to assist.’
‘The 36 group is a welcoming set that maintains high standards of excellence. It prosecutes and defends at the highest level in the Midlands.’
‘The 36 group is a very strong set of criminal practitioners who excel in complex and serious crime, further supported by a strong and proactive set of clerks.’
‘The 36 are an outstanding set, with excellent counsel of all years of call.’