9 Park Place

Crime

Matthew is a highly experienced criminal barrister with an excellent track record  of successfully prosecuting and defending high profile criminal cases and conducting regulatory work.

He is frequently instructed as the Leading Junior for the prosecution and defence and appears regularly against Leading Counsel. Matthew is a category 4 prosecutor and a member of the CPS RASSO panel.

Matthew is often requested by the Crown Prosecution Service to advise and deal with the most serious sexual offences involving  highly vulnerable complainants. He also has extensive experience in representing defendants charged with such offences.

This expertise has led him to being asked by the Bar Council to advise the Ministry of Justice and Amnesty International in relation to the functioning of the current sexual offences legislation from the perspective of a practitioner.

He has also assisted in writing the Wales and Chester Circuit Response as well as the Criminal Bar  Response to the recent Law Commission paper on reform of Sexual Offences Legislation. He has also made detailed written representations the Justice Select Committee in relation to the section 28 pre-recording of complainant evidence.

He is ranked in the Chambers UK Guide (2023, Crime) as Band 2 counsel:

“Matthew has an eye for detail. He is excellent at picking out points that others may miss”

“He is absolutely superb”

His tenaciousness and excellent eye for detail means he is often instructed in high profile drug conspiracies involving multiple defendants, firearms and complex IT issues.

“Matthew is a very strong advocate. He has a close to forensic understanding of the workings of computers, which makes him an ideal choice for cases involving IT”

He also specialises in unusual and highly technical areas of law ranging from forensic issues concerning computers, the internet and functioning of operating systems to environmental cases involving endangered species and regulatory matters such as recently advising Natural Resources Wales in respect of the Llangennech Rail derailment.

Called 1994, Gray’s Inn.

Category 4 CPS prosecutor and RASSO panel member Member of the Criminal Bar Association Member of the Wales and Chester Circuit Member of the CBA RASSO Panel Pupil Supervisor Course Director for Advocacy Wales and Chester Circuit Trainer for the Vulnerable witness course Member of Chambers Management Committee Chair of Equality and Diversity Chambers Committee Liaison to Bar Council for Equality and Diversity Community Governor Gabalfa Primary School Foundation Governor Bishop of Llandaff Secondary School Equalities Officer Cardiff bay Air Target Club Gray’s Inn Mentor

Criminal Bar Association.

Devonport High School for Boys (1990)

 State school educated in Plymouth Cardiff University - LL.B(Hons) 2:1 Bristol University -LL.M in Commercial Law (Insurance, Intellectual Property, Employment and Personal Injury litigation) Inns of Court School of Law -Bar Vocational Course 

Skiing, target shooting.