Paramjit Ahluwalia > Lamb Building > London, England > Barrister Profile

Paramjit Ahluwalia

Position

Homicide, Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking, Immigration offences, Firearms and drugs

Career

Paramjit is a committed, experienced criminal defence practitioner specialising in cases of  homicide, firearms and large scale drug supply, importation and Encrochat. She has acted as leading and sole junior (as well as led junior).

Paramjit has been named by the Observer (culture) in January 2019 as a ‘new talent: rising star’ in relation to her work ‘representing society’s most vulnerable, fighting human trafficking, modern day slavery and immigration crime’and is ranked in Legal 500, described as ‘an outstanding junior.’

Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking and s45 Modern Slavery Act defence

Paramjit has been leading junior counsel in ground-breaking modern slavery and human trafficking cases. She has a significant practice concerning Human Trafficking, Modern Slavery, County Lines, and section 45 Modern Slavery Act Defences.

Paramjit is the contributing author to the chapter on Modern Slavery and Immigration Offences in the leading Criminal Practitioner Text Blackstone’s Criminal Practice. She has been a speaker at the Judicial College in Jan 2022 on ‘Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking updates’ for the long and complex case seminars. She is a contributing author to chapters on criminal court process, special measures and criminal appeal process in Bloomsbury Professional ‘Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Law and Practice’

Paramjit was part of the Prison Reform Trust Advisory Group relating to amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill. Her article on duress and section 45 MSA 2015 was referenced in House of Lords debates on the amendments. She has been a speaker at seminars and workshops, including internationally at the ECPAT Conference in Paris to judges and lawyers from 7 European Countries- on ‘Trafficking for Criminal Exploitation.’ Paramjit has been leading junior in this area of work for cases even pre-dating Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Acquittal secured for Defendant in 2013 multi handed exploitation case – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22552912).

Homicide

Paramjit’s work involves representation in high profile murder cases both at first instance as well as advising as fresh counsel on appellate cases.

In addition, she has represented individuals in domestic homicides involving parricide as well as domestic abuse. Paramjit is currently co-authoring chapters in forthcoming book on ‘Women who kill their abusers.’ Recent work on cases on domestic homicides include (R v Emma Jayne Magson and R v Farieissia Martin).

Criminal Appeals and Advisory work

Paramjit regularly advises on publicly and privately funded appeals against conviction and sentence. She has appeared extensively before the Court of Appeal and has won appeals where original trial counsel advised negatively. She has acted in appeals concerning fresh evidence on account of coercive control (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/28/mother-jailed-in-uk-over-babys-injuries-blames-former-partner-at-appeal). Paramjit has also acted as counsel in drafting applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (https://ccrc.gov.uk/news/ccrc-refers-convictions-to-crown-court-due-to-concerns-that-the-minor-at-the-time-of-convictions-was-a-victim-of-trafficking/).

Paramjit has provided advisory work in relation to Disclosure Barring Services, VRR’s and illegal working legislation in addition to the advising of charities (eg Class Acts- examining modern slavery legislation across the UK).

Paramjit has spoken at conferences particularly on issues of duress, coercive control and Modern Slavery including:

• 2022- Feb- speaker at seminar to CCRC on coercive control issues in appeals.
• 2021- Speaker – criminal law module -Open University – reform of duress
• 2020 – Speaker at Justice Colloquium on Coercive Control at De Montfort University
• 2019- Criminal Law Review conference – updates Article 4.
• 2019- LAPG conference

Paramjit was previously a trustee of the charity ‘Women In Prison’ and is on the advisory board for the charity ‘APPEAL.’

Education

BA Jurisprudence, Keble College, Oxford.