Midland Circuit
The regulatory team at St Philips Chambers offers significant expertise in handling the full spectrum of consumer offences and business crime matters, including both prosecution and defence work. Jonathan Barker is ‘a hard-working junior with an excellent manner with clients’, and a highly sought-after counsel for health and safety issues, currently acting for a defendant in a multi-million-pound business fraud case. Ben Mills notably represented the HSE in HSE v Balfour Beatty, a case involving an accident on a construction site at the University of Birmingham, resulting in one worker’s death and life-changing permanent injuries to another.
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Profile
Work Department
Crime & Regulatory
Position
Jonathan Barker specialises in criminal law and regulatory crime. In recognition of his outstanding work, he was shortlisted for Crime and Extradition Junior of the Year at the Legal 500 Bar Awards 2024 and for Barrister of the Year at the Birmingham Law Society Awards 2026. He is Deputy Head of the Criminal Group at St. Philips Chambers.
Jonathan’s practice centres on three principal areas:
Serious Crime – with particular expertise in homicide, fatal driving offences, serious organised crime, and sexual offences.
Financial Crime – including fraud, money laundering, and illegal money lending.
Regulatory Law – encompassing substantial cases involving environmental offences, trading standards, and sports law. He is a member of the Attorney General’s List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates.
Highly sought after by leading defence solicitors and major prosecuting authorities, Jonathan is known for his meticulous preparation, strategic judgement, and unwavering commitment to client representation. He is regularly instructed in complex, document-heavy cases arising from large-scale investigations. Praised for his “technical mind” and his ability to “assimilate complex information quickly,” he provides clear, strategic advice at every stage of proceedings, including pre-charge engagement.
Jonathan read Law at University College London and is a Queen Mother Scholar of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. He is a pupil supervisor and advocacy trainer on the Midland Circuit. He sits on the CPS Advocate Panel for General Crime, Serious Organised Crime, and Fraud at Level 4 (the highest tier), and is also a member of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) Panel. He is on level A on the Specialist Regulatory Advocates list.
Career
Called 2006; Middle Temple.
Memberships
Midland Circuit; Criminal Bar Association.
Education
University College London (LLB).
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The clerking team, in particular Andrew Rourke, is exceptionally responsive, engaging, and accommodating, even amidst the current extreme challenges of diary management. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure smooth coordination and are always ready to assist with a positive attitude.' 'James Withers is easy to work with, quick to respond to emails and helpful with any queries. He is everything one wants in a clerk.' 'Clerks and helpful and professional.' 'The fantastic regulatory clerking team.' 'St Philips demonstrates exceptional commercial awareness through their active engagement. Their commitment to fostering strong professional relationships and staying attuned to the evolving legal landscape is evident in their proactive involvement in these activities.' 'St Philips is an excellent regulatory and criminal defence set.' 'Very strong in breadth and depth of experience with leaders in this field.'