Oliver Hirsch > Chambers of David Berkley KC > Winchester, England > Barrister Profile

Oliver Hirsch

Work Department

Crime; Personal Injury

Position

Oliver Hirsch handles all areas of criminal and personal injury law and takes instructions on specialist regulatory cases. He is based at 3PB’s Winchester office, but operates across the South of England and London.

In his criminal practice, Oliver accepts instructions in both defence and prosecution work, appearing in the magistrates’, youth and Crown Courts. As a defence advocate, he regularly secures crucial results for his clients, whether that be an acquittal or a fair sentence. He is also well-versed in Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings, where he is able to draw on his expertise in civil law as well as the relevant statutory provisions. He has a growing practice in regulatory matters, including taxi licence appeals and private prosecutions.

Oliver acts for both claimants and defendants across the spectrum of personal injury cases. He regularly appears in the county court and has a strong advisory practice. He recently finished acting pro bono in a High Court case valued at more than £500,000. The claim was discontinued a few months after Oliver began representing the defendant.

Oliver is particularly keen to build his practice in animal welfare law. He has worked pro bono for the UK’s only specialist animal law firm, Advocates for Animals.

Prior to commencing practice at the Bar, Oliver achieved a First in History at the University of Oxford, before completing the GDL and BPTC. He then worked for a national social care provider before starting pupillage. Oliver also received a Princess Royal Scholarship from Inner Temple.

Crime

Oliver Hirsch is a barrister, based at 3PB’s Winchester office, who accepts instructions in both defence and prosecution work, appearing in the magistrates’, youth and Crown Courts.

Criminal Defence

R v T: client acquitted at trial; self-defence to a charge of assaulting an emergency worker.

R v S: conditional discharge for outraging public decency.

R v C: possession of a bladed article; starting point of 18 months in custody reduced to a 6-month suspended sentence.

R v W: client acquitted after exclusion of prosecution evidence under the hearsay rule.

R v G: non-punitive community order for multiple deliberate failures to provide a specimen.

R v B: multi-handed affray; no evidence offered in return for a restraining order.

Criminal Prosecution

R v B: custodial sentence for a racially aggravated public order offence upheld on appeal.

R v D: prolific paedophile given a 12-year extended sentence, after he re-offended when released on licence.

R v P: conviction for driving in charge of a vehicle while unfit.

R v M: conviction in drink-driving case involving expert evidence.

R v W: conviction for failure to provide a specimen, where the defendant had caused very serious injuries by crashing his car. A substantial period of disqualification was imposed.

Proceeds of Crime

R v A: Oliver persuaded the prosecution to settle, after making a novel argument that the defendant’s current account balance was in fact held on trust for his bank. The client paid £16,000 less than the prosecution had been pursuing.

R v C: Oliver negotiated the amount sought by the prosecution down from £15,000 to £3,500.

Regulatory

Oliver acts in all areas of regulatory law. His most recent experience includes taxi licence appeals and a private prosecution under the electric pedal cycle regulations.

Personal Injury 

Oliver Hirsch acts for both claimants and defendants across the spectrum of PI and RTA cases.

He also has a strong advisory practice, encompassing all areas of negligence and other tortious claims. Recent work includes advising on potential claims arising from a wrongful conviction, and producing a wide-ranging assessment of the law on pure psychiatric harm.

Recent cases

H v B: successfully argued claim against a well-known national retailer, which failed to conduct due diligence on the safety of an instant boiling water tap sold to the claimant.

G v S: acting for the claimant, Oliver obtained almost double the amount initially claimed, in respect of severe psychiatric injury following a high-speed motorway crash.

D v M: secured £27,500 in compensation for a claimant involved in a serious road collision, after successfully applying for relief from sanctions and conducting a contested quantum trial.

R v V: acting for the defendant, Oliver succeeded on a legal argument about the interpretation of the whiplash tariff, meaning the damages awarded were reduced to a third of those claimed.

T v P: representing a young defendant driver found responsible for an accident, Oliver secured a 50% contribution from the claimant and deprived them of their costs.

S v C: persuaded the court to disregard the account of the claimant, insofar as it departed from the expert prognosis, thereby substantially reducing the award.

Career

Year of Call: 2020

Memberships

• Inner Temple
• Western Circuit
• Criminal Bar Association
• UK Centre for Animal Law
• Level 1 – CPS Advocate Panel – General Crime

Education

• Bar Professional Training Course, V Competent (University of Law)
• Graduate Diploma in Law, Distinction (University of Law)
• BA History, First (University of Oxford)