Profile
Position
Clare Wade KC is an experienced silk who specialises in murder, manslaughter, sexual offences and serious violence (in the context of domestic homicide or gang associated killings) at trial and appellate level.
She can think ‘outside the box’ combining excellent client care with legal acumen and attention to forensic detail. She has extensive experience defending in historical sex cases. She acted for the first defendant in Operation Lytton – the first in a series of ongoing Rochdale grooming trials.
Clare is a highly experienced and successful appellate advocate. She regularly advises on out-of- time appeals against conviction and sentence often where trial counsel has advised that there is no prospect of a successful appeal. She has been instructed in some of the most high profile appeals of the last few years.
In 2021, the Lord Chancellor appointed Clare as the Independent Reviewer on Sentencing in cases of Domestic Homicide. Clare conducted the Review alongside her regular practice and presented it to the Justice Secretary in June 2022. The Review was published in March 2023 and has resulted in secondary legislation (coercive control as a mitigating and aggravating factor and overkill as an aggravating factor in murder). The present Government has committed to enacting Clare’s recommendation that killing by strangulation and killing at the end of a relationship should be an aggravating factor in murder.
She is a specialist on women and the criminal justice system. She is often instructed to provide pre-charge advice or to advise on one-off matters such as drafting representations. She gave oral evidence before the Public Bills Committee on the Criminal Justice Bill 2023-24.
Clare is ranked in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners 2025 and was shortlisted for Crime Silk of the Year 2020 by the Legal 500. Clare won Barrister of the Year at the Women in Law Awards 2020.
Career
Called 1990
Appointed Silk 2018
Memberships
- Criminal Bar Association
- Amnesty International
- Justice for Women
- Women in Criminal Law
- Bar Council Law Reform Committee (2003- 2011)
Education
- BA Hons English Language and Literature Durham University (First Class)
- Diploma in Law City University, London
- BVC, ICSL
Content supplied by 25 Bedford Row
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Very strong defence set doing serious work.'
- '25 Bedford Row is a highly regarded Chambers with quality counsel from top to bottom . '
- 'Excellent strength in depth. '
- '25 Bedford Row remain one of the go to criminal sets, able to deal with the most complex and serious of matters. The culture at the chambers, from what we can see, is supportive and inclusive.'
- 'A versatile chambers offering exceptional counsel across all practice areas.'
- 'The set as a whole is outstanding. There is quality from top to bottom. The chambers is unusual in that it offers excellent general crime coverage whilst also being able to offer counsel with expertise in every area of criminal law.'
- 'The set is highly professional and always responsive when it comes to counsel availability. If the requested counsel is unavailable, they are proactive in providing a list of alternative barristers who have relevant experience in handling similar matters. This flexibility and commitment to ensuring clients are well-supported is a notable strength of the chambers.'
- 'An excellent set, who I know I can rely upon to provide the best counsel in any case that I need. Of note is also the level of pupil barristers - there is clearly a lot of talent. '