Joanna Staples > Chambers of Sally O’Neill and Michael Holland KC > London, England > Barrister Profile

Joanna Staples

0207 405 3232 jstaples@furnivallaw.co.uk View profile

Work Department

Serious and Organised Crime, Sexual Offences, Financial Crime and Asset Forfeiture, Regulatory

Position

Call: 2003

Career

Throughout Joanna’s career she has “provided her clients with a first-class service” and is “meticulous in the detail of the cases in which she in instructed”. This approach has led her to being instructed in the most serious of criminal cases, trusted by her instructing solicitors and lay clients alike to “go above and beyond” in order to achieve the best possible result.

Since joining chambers, Joanna has been instructed in cases of homicide, rape, aggravated burglary, child cruelty, possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and robbery. An experienced criminal practitioner, Joanna has a particular understanding of those cases involving vulnerable defendants and witnesses, whether due to age, mental illness or other personal difficulty.

In 2019, Joanna was instructed as led Junior in the homicide trial of a “botched exorcism” at the Central Criminal Court which resulted in acquittal (see notable cases below). Other recent successful cases include the acquittals of a masseur charged with sexual assault of a client, a young man charged with the rape of a young woman he had just met in a nightclub, a man charged with child cruelty and assault of his partner’s child who suffered unexplained injuries whilst in his care, a man charged with inciting sexual activity with a child, and a man charged with s.20 GBH following an incident during a football match.

She is currently instructed as defence counsel in a number of complex and serious cases, both as led Junior – in the trial of two youths charged with the murder due to be tried in November 2020; and as junior alone in cases including a near fatal stabbing, a youth charged with multiple offences of rape against three young complainants and a young man charged with the rape of a child family member.

Joanna is also on the Grade 3 advocates’ panel and has acted as led junior on a number of multi-handed conspiracy cases. She is also regularly instructed by Local Authorities to prosecute offences under the Fraud, Town and Country Planning and Housing Acts.

Languages

English

Memberships

Criminal Bar Association
North London Bar Mess
SEC

Education

Inns of Court School of Law
King’s College London