Anthony Vines > Civitas Law > Cardiff, United Kingdom > Barrister Profile

Anthony Vines

02920 375020 anthony.vines@civitaslaw.com

Position

Anthony has an extensive practice and is a member of the Public, planning and regulatory group and Commercial group at Civitas Law. He is also a highly experienced member of the dispute resolution team.  See chambers’ website for further details.

Public, planning and regulatory: Anthony is instructed in the more complex regulatory and public law matters. Frequently there may be issues regarding trading, licensing or enforcement and he is used to appearing in many different forums. Anthony is instructed by local authorities, regulators, government departments, police authorities, businesses and individuals in advisory work and prosecutions ranging from trading standards and environmental health to care standards, planning enforcement, inquests and fraud. Appointed to the Attorney General’s Panel in 2001, he has prosecuted on behalf of the HSE, the DWP and HMRC. He has since been re-appointed to the panel of the Welsh Government in connection with regulatory and criminal matters. Anthony was appointed in 2012 to List A of Specialist Regulatory Advocates for health and safety and environmental matters. He has considerable experience in arguing for the defence in connection with statutory defences, procedures and abuse of process. Recent cases for public, planning and regulatory: Instructed by Belfast City Council in prosecution arising from E. Coli outbreak at Flicks restaurant.  Instructed by Newport City Council in fatal industrial accident.  Instructed for the Defence in pair of serious workplace accidents (Cambridge Crown Court 2012); instructed by HSE in prosecution of local authority arising from the death of a disabled man in a hoist (2012); acted for Welsh Ministers in care home neglect prosecution: R v Smyth (2012); successfully acted for defendant trader in nationwide prosecutions for offences contrary to unfair trading regulations (2011-12); advised local authority in relation to social care provision; acted for public authority in relation to three-week inquest and subsequent human rights claims (2011-12); instructed by Wrexham CBC in prosecution of takeaway owner for 2009 outbreak of E. Coli 0157: R v Aslan (2011); instructed by Welsh Ministers in case concerning abuse of TB regime: R v Price (2011); acting for finance house in title disputes over cars: Family Finance v JD Cleverly & Anr [2009] EWCA 1477; instructed in prosecution of retailer of modchips for Xbox, Nintendo and Sony Playstation under copyright, trade marks and money-laundering legislation. Business turned over £850,000 over two years. Restraint proceedings and funds being removed from the jurisdiction. Case appealed unsuccessfully on whether a copy within copyright legislation was created. R v Gilham [2009] EWCA Crim 2293 CA [2009] WLR (D) 324; represented Bridgend CBC at the Public Inquiry chaired by Professor Pennington into the 2005 South Wales outbreak of E. coli 0157. Evidence concerned public procurement, food hygiene and school management; Caerphilly CBC, RCT CBC & Bridgend CBC v Tudor – Led by Graham Walters in prosecution of butcher for marketing of unsafe food and food hygiene offences arising from 2005 e. coli outbreak resulting in death of Mason Jones. Managed substantial disclosure process involving 9 counsel; successfully defended individual accused of deliberately disturbing a dormouse habitat: R v Jones; defended individual prosecuted arising from substantial skip hire business and unlawful dumping: R v James.

Commercial and consumer: acting both for businesses and individuals, Anthony regularly advises and represents in contract, chancery and property disputes and consumer protection matters such as terms and conditions, the enforceability of agreements and disputes concerning the sale of goods or the supply of services; Anthony also advises in connection with company and contractual disputes and non-contentious matters such as drafting of agreements.

Dispute resolution: Anthony has acted as mediator in a wide range of disputes both within a community and a commercial setting; commercial mediations have addressed issues of contract, construction, employment, professional negligence, planning, valuation and land; community mediations have included neighbourhood issues, noise nuisance, racism, homophobia and difficulties arising from medical issues; Anthony qualified as a mediator with CEDR (1995) with Southwark Mediation Centre (1998) and with ADR Group (2002).

Career

Called to the Bar 1993; panel of counsel for Welsh government; List A of Specialist Regulatory Advocates (health and safety, environment, rail regulation.

Memberships

Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association; Administrative Law Bar Association; London Common Law and Commercial Bar Association.

Education

Malvern College, 1982-87; St John’s College, University of Cambridge, 1988-91; City of London Polytechnic 1991-92; Inns of Court School of Law, Bar Vocational Course, 1994-95.

Leisure

Family and music.