3PB ‘has huge strength in depth in criminal work on the Western Circuit and can be relied upon to provide first class counsel for any case‘. Adam Feest QC and the ‘unflappable‘ Timothy Bradbury defended in the case of a Polish man, who spoke limited English and had been transferred to a psychiatric hospital before trial, who was charged with the murder of his estranged wife and teenage daughter. Elsewhere, unled, Nicholas Cotter represented a man who received a four-year sentence for the attempted theft of a copy of Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral. Jodie Mittell acted as junior defense counsel in the case of a man charged with the murder of his father but was convicted of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Praised by instructing solicitors as 'head and shoulders the best set in the West' and 'a go-to set for criminal representation', Guildhall Chambers has 'an outstanding team' with 'strength in depth at all levels' and 'formidable silks at the fore'. In a prominent highlight for the set, Richard Smith QC led Jennifer Tallentire in the prosecution of a man, who was charged with murder and convicted of manslaughter after strangling his lover; the initial sentence of ten-and-a-half years was increased by three years by the Court of Appeal in R v Brehmer. Also of note, Anna Vigars QC successfully prosecuted fourteen defendants who were convicted of running a Class A drugs ring, as well as the rape and exploitation of the leader's young girlfriend.  Strengthening the team at the senior end, Ray Tully QC took silk in March 2021. Tara Wolfe is now head of legal advice and welfare services at NGO Freedom From Torture.

In the words of instructing solicitors, Albion Chambers is 'a fore-runner for the provision of quality counsel for the full range of criminal matters'. Adam Vaitilingam QC recently acted for a volunteer farm worker with a longstanding mental illness who was charged with the murder of an employee on the farm where he worked; he was sentenced to a hospital order following a plea of manslaughter, which was accepted on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Turning to the juniors, Edward Hetherington prosecuted a multi-handed murder trial where the defendants were convicted of the murder of a man they wrongly believed had stolen a bicycle from them. Charley Pattison is 'a rising star', 'tirelessly relentless in her pursuit of justice' and 'acts with compassion and skill in dealing with vulnerable and challenging clients'. In August 2021 Anna Richardson was appointed to the circuit bench.

Pump Court Chambers in Winchester is ‘a strong, well organised criminal set‘ with ‘very good strength in depth‘ and ‘first-class counsel‘. James Newton-Price QC successfully prosecuted a man who was convicted of the murder of his wife’s 16-year-old niece. Sarah Jones QC is ‘a powerful advocate‘, and has expertise in cases of serious violence and sexual offences, and is noted for her strength in Court Martial cases. At the junior end, Mark Ruffell is sought after for his experience in prosecuting multi-handed drugs conspiracies, while rising star Alejandra Llorente Tascon is ‘fearless in advancing the cause of her clients but eminently sensible and realistic in the advice that she gives to the lay client‘.

KBG Chambers in Plymouth has 'a good range of barristers who have exceptional knowledge'. In recent instructions of note, Nicholas Lewin recently defended in the case of a serial rapist in Plymouth, and Ali Rafati defended a 66-year-old care worker who received a suspended sentence after being convicted of causing death by dangerous driving, by crashing her car while transporting an elderly client, who subsequently died in hospital back to her home. Francesca Whebell primarily represents defendants in cases involving drugs, serious violence, and serious sexual offences. Hollie Gilbery is 'a great communicator; her advice is clear and concise and her advocacy skills are excellent'.