Ruth Reid > 3TG Barristers > London, England > Barrister Profile

Ruth specialises in general crime with experience as both defence and prosecuting counsel in the criminal courts. Advising and representing on first hearings up to and including appeals. Ruth receives both public and private instructions. Ruth also deals with cases involving civil injunctions such as CBOs and gang injunctions.

Prior to pupillage, Ruth gained experience working as a Solicitor’s agent in civil matters and also worked as a paralegal at the Serious Fraud Office. Alongside these, in a voluntary capacity, Ruth represented and advised in Employment Tribunal cases and volunteered with the Witness Service. Ruth still carries out a lot of voluntary work through a number of organisations, including founding Cake & Counsel in 2017.

Ruth has a direct and friendly approach and is keen to assist young and vulnerable people through the criminal justice system. She has training and experience in dealing with vulnerable people so is able to assist all, meeting their needs and advise on the need for and work with an intermediary if necessary.

Ruth is also currently appointed/instructed on the following:

Dame Dobbs Review
CPS Panel Level 2
Serious Fraud Office Panel C

Publications:

August 2016 – ‘Extreme Poverty: an AFI Changemakers report to the UN’

https://www.arielfoundation.org/publications/

Ruth has also written articles for the Amicus ALJ newsletter.

Notable Cases

R v PW – Defended on a 3-count indictment. Successful legal arguments included excluding the defendant’s extensive bad character and removing one count during a half-time submission. Used effective BWV breakdown in cross-examining various police officers. The defendant was acquitted of one of the remaining 2 counts.

R v LD – Conditional discharge for client who during his elected trial and after an judicial indication of sentence, pleaded to racially aggravated s4A towards PCs who attended his home. Argued breaches of PACE.

R v AHP – Represented the client from first appearance up to proposed crown court trial. Continuously made representations regarding serious disclosure failures by the crown, which eventually saw the case dropped shortly before trial.

R v SF – 3-day youth attempted robbery trial brought on a joint enterprise basis. There were a number of issues including forensic evidence, in addition to a successful s.78 application to exclude unfair evidence.

R v WD -Trial of an elderly man for possession of a knife in public with the use of an intermediary. Complex argument regarding what constituted a public space.

R v GS – Successful in a Newton Hearing for an assault by beating.

R v MN – successful acquittal of a pensioner accused of pushing a journalist/photographer into a canal. It was decided that he acted in lawful self defence. Reported in the Basingstoke Gazette.

http://www.basingstokegazette.co.uk/news/15481199.66_year_old_found_not_guilty_of_assault_by_beating_by_pushing_a_man_into_Basingstoke_canal/

Outside Interests

Ruth enjoys a number of sporting and dance activities for leisure and is a Grade 7 pianist. She teaches as a Master Guide in the Pathfinders Association and undertakes gardening, DIY projects and hairdressing as hobbies.

Ruth is also founder of the peer-networking society ‘Cake & Counsel’, providing a platform of informal networking and advice for aspiring lawyers, accompanied by a Blog.

Ruth is a keen sportswoman and has been involved in teams which set county records at school. At present Ruth enjoys a number of sporting and dance activities for leisure.

Ruth is also founder of a peer-networking society ‘Cake & Counsel’, providing a platform of informal networking and advice for aspiring lawyers and has her own Blog.