23ES

Criminal

Abigail Husbands is a specialist Rape panel and Grade 3 CPS advocate. She is an established junior with extensive experience in all types of rape and serious sex case, child abuse, serious multi-handed violence and complex drugs conspiracies. She both prosecutes and defends. She routinely deals with vulnerable and young witnesses, expert evidence and complex legal arguments.

Her experience includes R v K (prosecution): historical rape case involving a number of complainants spanning a 30 year period; R v E (defence): child cruelty case involving multiple injuries to a 9 month old; R v JC & BC (prosecution): gang rape of a young girl; R v SS (defence): 14 year old charged with serious sexual assault on a five year old; R v Hollick (prosecution): rape case dealing with automatism due to sexsomnia.

Abigail has a particular specialism in Intellectual Property crime having prosecuted for the Federation Against Copyright Theft and has dealt with multi-handed conspiracies including a conspiracy to supply drugs to inmates of HMP Elmley. She has also been led on high profile cases such as the Hackney boys gang rape trial, the Tonbridge arsonist case and other drug smuggling and people-trafficking conspiracies.

Abigail appeared in and helped put together a recent programme on BBC3 aired on 2ndNovember 2015 called ‘Is this Rape? – Sex on Trial’ in which 12 teenagers viewed a dramatisation of a rape scenario and were asked to decide whether the victim consented to what took place.  This was a very thought provoking programme that attracted much interest in the media.  Abigail was also interview by Radio 1.  Please click on the following links to read more about the programme:

The Mirror Online

BBC

Abigail Husbands is an established senior junior, called to the Bar in 2000, with experience defending and prosecuting a broad range of criminal disciplines, from the most complex murder trials including baby cases, to multi-handed and multi-complainant rape and child sexual abuse cases. Abigail has also prosecuted a number of Metropolitan police officers for sexual offences. She regularly deals with historic offences and cold-case reviews, as well as child cruelty and neglect, serious multi-handed firearms and violence offences as well as drugs, including complex conspiracies. She has experience dealing with vulnerable witnesses, in particular children and people with disabilities. Abigail is regularly instructed by the Appeals Unit, and has experience prosecuting intellectual property crime.

Abigail has recently lectured and trained the police in avoiding myths and stereotypes in the prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences, and on the integrity and diligence required during the disclosure exercise (TVP 2021 & 2022). Abigail has also lectured fellow professionals at the CBA conference on the recent Attorney-General’s Guidelines on Disclosure 2020 (2021).

Abigail collaborated with BBC3 to create and appear in a programme called ‘Is this Rape? – Sex on Trial’, which aired on 2nd November 2015. 12 teenagers viewed a dramatisation of a rape scenario and were asked to decide whether the victim had consented. This was a critically acclaimed programme, nominated for a TV award, which attracted much interest in the media. Abigail was interviewed by Radio 1 and several other media outlets.

Ranked in Chambers and Partners for Crime

Chambers Management Committee, Chambers Tenancy Committee, Pupil supervisor (2020-2023).

CPS London and South East Grade 4 Advocate; Criminal Bar Association; South Eastern Circuit.

OTHER:

2016-2023: Vice-Chair of Governors: Sayes Court Primary School; Safeguarding champion on Governing board; Complaints Committee 2020-2023.

2021-2023: Board of Cobham Netball Club;

2010-2015: Board of Hyde Park Netball Club.

Edgbaston High School for Girls; University College London (BA (Hons) Philosophy); City University (Dip Law).

Playing netball, watching rugby and cricket.