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2 Harcourt Buildings > Firm Profile

The Chambers: 2 Harcourt Buildings is an outstanding set of criminal barristers, with counsel of the highest quality at every level. Members of Chambers prosecute and defend in the full range of criminal cases and are noted for their dedication, commanding courtroom performances, and sound advice.

Since the foundation of Chambers by the returning British prosecutors from the Nuremberg War Trials, Chambers has enjoyed a formidable reputation in London and the South East in all areas of criminal work. We have consolidated our approach as a small, high-quality set following a major refurbishment, rebranding, and the election of new Heads of Chambers.

Work Undertaken:
Crime: Members of 2 Harcourt Buildings regularly appear in cases involving homicide, terrorism, bribery and corruption, fatal and non-fatal non-accidental infant head injury, rape, serious, prolific, and historic sexual offences (including institutional abuse), and drug dealing on a massive scale. In addition, Chambers has a particular specialism in cases investigated under Operation Trident or by the Flying Squad, Serious and Organised Crime Command, and the National Crime Agency.
Recent cases include the prosecution of Fiona Onasanya the MP for Peterborough, Pollard & Patterson two police officers jailed for sabotaging child abuse investigations, the prosecution for misconduct of several members of staff at Medway Secure Training Centre arising from a Panorama undercover investigation, the prosecution of Andrew Soper the former Abbott of Ealing Abbey tried for rape and other sexual offences committed in the 1970s against pupils at St Benedict’s School and the prosecution of Asemota a NCA operation into trafficking of young girls into the sex trade.

Financial Crime: Members are regularly instructed to defend and prosecute cases involving offences of banking fraud, diversion fraud, investment fraud (including boiler room fraud), tax fraud (including MTIC fraud), duty evasion, money laundering, bribery and corruption, cyber-crime, and immigration fraud.

Members of chambers appear on the SFO, Attorney General’s and CPS Specialist Fraud Division panels, and are experienced in cases arising out of investigations undertaken by the SFO, FCA, HMRC, NCA, the City of London Police, and the Insolvency Service.

Recent cases include LIBOR, the prosecution of Feezan Hameed the mastermind behind the biggest vishing fraud in UK history and Parkin & Spink the first known election fraud prosecution under section 65a of the Representation of the People Act 1983, proving that voters were positively misled as to what they were signing.

Chambers also has expertise in the bringing and defence of private prosecutions, and in the handling of confiscation and restraint proceedings on behalf of prosecuting agencies, defendants and interested third parties.

Professional Discipline: In particular, members are regularly sought after to represent both the council and registrants before the General Dental Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council. Members have been instructed in the full array of proceedings including lengthy substantive hearings before the Conduct and Competency Committee, hearings before the Health Committee, restoration applications, registration appeals, and fraudulent/incorrect entry cases.

Members are specifically instructed in complex and lengthy proceedings that call for advocates of proven calibre. This has included proceedings against a care home manager that lasted for several months and attracted considerable media attention.

Members have also appeared in appeals brought to the High Court. For example in, Wisniewska v Nursing and Midwifery Council [2016] EWHC 2672 (Admin) a member successfully challenged the findings of a Panel at first instance and overturned a striking-off order.

Recruitment: Chambers prides itself on offering structured, challenging and fulfilling twelve-month pupillages to high quality applicants. Chambers aims to prepare all pupils for a successful career within our Chambers and actively seeks to recruit junior tenants from amongst their number. Nine of our last eleven pupils were taken on at the end of their pupillage.