St John's Buildings

Crime

Mark is a Level 2 CPS Panel Advocate and joined St John’s Buildings as a tenant in October 2023. Prior to that, Mark completed his pupillage at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and acted as a Crown Prosecutor across Yorkshire and Humberside. During his time in the CPS, Mark prosecuted a wide variety of cases in both the Crown Court and the magistrates’ courts. Mark continues to develop his prosecuting practice and expand his practice into defence work.

Mark prides himself in being an approachable and dedicated advocate who works closely with all parties in a case to ensure the smooth and effective running of proceedings. He is regularly praised by members of the Judiciary for his fair-handed approach to prosecuting, his preparedness for cases, and the use/production of documents to assist them in their role.

Previously, Mark was a Principal Lecturer in Law. He spent eight years in Higher Education teaching law across undergraduate and postgraduate portfolios, specialising in criminal law, evidence, and procedure. With his background in academia, Mark combines his extensive knowledge of the substantive law, with his personable outlook and meticulous nature, to deliver the highest-possible service.

Mark also holds a number of independent roles relevant to his practice:

Mark sits on the Management Committee for The Advocate’s Gateway (TAG). TAG is a non-profit organisation which provides education materials for practitioners and academics on the correct methods of dealing with vulnerable individuals in the justice system. Mark’s experience with TAG ensures that his knowledge of working with vulnerable individuals remains relevant and contemporary. Mark is the Senior Deputy Editor in Chief for The International Journal of Evidence and Proof, an internationally renowned peer-reviewed publication. Mark is involved in the management and review of submissions to the Journal, and regularly advises on modern developments in the law of evidence and procedure worthy of comment. Mark is a contracted Case Note Author for The Journal of Criminal Law where he publishes quarterly case notes updating readers on new developments in the common law relating to substantive criminal law, evidence, and procedure.

Mark has written a book entitled A Practical Guide to Probation Breaches and Other Applications, which is available from Law Brief Publishing.

LLM in Legal Practice, Nottingham Trent University (2016) BPTC, Nottingham Trent University (2014) LLB (Hons), The University of Sheffield (2013)

Mark is also an Associate Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) and is working towards the submission of his PhD, concerned with the use of force by householders in self-defence.