Paul Smith > Chambers of Frances Heaton KC and Richard Norton > Chester, England > Barrister Profile

Paul specialises in defending serious crime and is keen to continue developing his practice in that direction. His priority is to be readily accessible to his instructing solicitors and empathetic to defendants. He has particular experience, both before and since coming to the bar, of clients with mental health problems and learning difficulties.

Paul regularly appears in the Court of Appeal and has successfully appealed against sentence and conviction (an example this year is R v Karl Gardner, inconsistent verdicts / fairness), and has successfully resisted prosecution appeals (CPS v Pearce).