2 Harcourt Buildings

Leading silk at 2 Harcourt Buildings and a Recorder in the Crown Court

James is one of the UK's most experienced and versatile silks in criminal law, trusted to lead in some of the most sensitive and technically demanding trials of the last decade. His expertise spans homicide, gang-related violence, terrorism, infant deaths, serious organised crime, cyber blackmail, international law, and financial crime.

His practice is defined by precision, tactical leadership, and courtroom excellence. Known for commanding complex joint enterprise prosecutions, novel defences such as automatism and sleepwalking, and sensitive trials involving youth defendants and cultural or psychiatric complexity, James is regularly briefed in cases of national significance. He appears almost exclusively in multi-handed trials at The Old Bailey (the Central Criminal Court) and beyond and is known for bringing clarity and impact to the most serious criminal trials.

R v GC and 6 others (2025) James led the prosecution of this 11 week murder trial at the Central Criminal Court involving the murder by shooting of an unarmed young man in Peckham and the subsequent burning of the car used in the murder.

R v MB, AB, MH, RK, TP and AB (2025) James prosecuted 7 individuals for bribery and fraud offences. The bribery concerned a total of £2 million paid in bribes over the grant and management of construction contracts.

R v TH (2024) This 10-week trial at Exeter Crown Court involved a schoolboy at Blundell’s School, Devon who attacked his housemates and a teacher with two hammers in the middle of the night, claiming he was sleepwalking. James led for the prosecution in what became a nationally reported case on automatism and sleep violence.

R v JA (2024), James prosecuted an allegation of importation of a poison and the manslaughter of an 11 year old girl by poisoning by the release of the gas Phosphine.

R v KW and two others (2024), James led for the prosecution in an 8 week, 3 handed allegation of a murder of a 22 year old stabbed on the street in Croydon.

R v KP (2023), James defended in a 6 week trial of a father accused of murdering an 11 week old baby.