‘The go-to set for this area’, Doughty Street Chambers has a track record of success in the most prominent extradition cases, with members integrating experience in domestic and international human rights law to lead on the most challenging and novel proceedings on the side of defendants. Edward Fitzgerald KC remains a leading figure on the extradition Bar, and in 2024 achieved major success acting for Julian Assange in obtaining permission from the High Court to appeal his extradition order, which eventually resulted in a plea deal and Assange’s return to Australia without serving a custodial sentence in the US. A silk ’steeped in experience in extradition law’, Ben Cooper KC achieved success in the Supreme Court in Merticariu vs Romania, a test case on the right to retrial under the Extradition Act 2003, where he led junior counsel Mary Westcott and the ‘incisive, brave and dedicated’ Malcolm Hawkes. Peter Caldwell KC took silk in 2o25, and his recent work includes obtaining bail for a person who faced charges of running a drug trafficking operation in India.
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Mentions
Profile
Work Department
Position
Peter Caldwell specialises in cases of financial misconduct and extradition. He advises and represents individuals and businesses in international investigations of bribery, money laundering and sanctions compliance. Peter is head of Doughty Street International’s Sanctions Team.
Clients value his international criminal law and public law experience for advice on sanctions and regulatory compliance.
Career
Year of call: 1995
Peter is ranked by Legal 500 and Chambers UK as a leading barrister, (Band 1), in international crime and extradition and criminal fraud.
“Peter is a giant in this field. He has a deep knowledge of international crime and extradition”; “an intelligent, tactically astute and decisive advocate, who impresses with his ability to master complex arguments” - Legal 500
Peter has over twenty years' experience defending in criminal and regulatory cases where the outcome depends on witness examination and trial advocacy. In recent years he has successfully defended:
- A company director in the first prosecution of a Bitcoin operator by the Isle of Man FSA.
- A solicitor prosecuted on allegations of cheating the Revenue;
- A company director accused of land banking fraud.
Peter is regularly instructed to defend in proceedings brought by the Serious Fraud Office: Allied Irish Bank fraud; Independent Insurance Group Plc; BAe Systems Plc in SFO (Tanzanian radar contract).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Clerks are always very helpful.'
- 'The chambers contains a number of skilled advocates which means good back up is always available. It is a well clerked and extremely efficiently run, busy set of chambers.'
- 'Well renowned extradition set with counsel available across the whole spectrum. They will nearly always have someone to cater for an individual client’s needs'
- 'Exceptional set, especially for extradition. Committed and passionate barristers, leading in this field.'
- 'The go to set for this area, place human rights at the forefront of their ethos.'