Libertas Chambers

Director of Clerking: Marc King

Practice Clerk: Gary Douglas

Practice Clerk: Louis King

Practice Clerk: Amanda Kneafsey

Practice Clerk: Tom Barnes

Fees Clerk: Claire Martin

THE CHAMBERS Libertas Chambers specialises in representing company directors and professionals for criminal and regulatory matters. Libertas has established itself as one of the first fully remote barristers’ Chambers using secure cloud platforms and serviced offices across the country. The core aim is delivering first-class services, with a strong work ethic, excellence in advocacy and commitment to achieving the best results for its clients.

WORK UNDERTAKEN Members are instructed in serious, complex and high-profile criminal cases both nationally and internationally which include pre-charge advisory work, trials and appellate proceedings. Members have been instructed in many of the leading cases which have resulted in setting precedents in the field of criminal law. Libertas also has a growing profile defending in professional disciplinary work.

Financial Crime: Members regularly provide advice pre-charge, to both individuals and corporate clients, often leading to cases being discontinued at preliminary stages. Members are instructed in cases prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office and the Financial Services Agency and are currently or have defended in Market Abuse trials, the first prosecution of Cartel offending under the Enterprise Act 2002 and prosecutions under the Bribery Act 2010. All aspects of fraud are covered – investments fraud, pensions fraud, construction industry fraud, boiler room fraud, MTIC frauds as well as Money Laundering, Asset Forfeiture and Restraint proceedings. Other niche areas include investigations in relation to the export of military and dual use goods to international territories under the Export Control Act 2002. Members also specialise in representing clients facing proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including advising and representing interested parties applying to be heard under section 10A.

Homicide: Members have appeared in many of the ground-breaking homicide cases in particular the Supreme Court’s decision on Joint Enterprise, R v Jogee [2016] UKSC 8 and high-profile cases such as the notorious murder trial of Dale Cregan. Members defend in all aspects of homicide from contract killings, gang-land murders to cases of infanticide. As well as being at the cutting edge of developments in homicide law, Members are known for their skilful handling of expert witnesses in the fields of pathology, psychiatry, blood spatter and DNA and have a long-standing history of representing young and vulnerable Defendants. Members have undertaken courses on vulnerable witness training and often lecture on the topic to other practitioners.

Organised Crime: Members of Chambers are consistently instructed in cases of gang-land shootings as well as extensive drug conspiracies. Members are currently leading the defence in challenging admissibility of the EncroChat communications network where the National Crime Agency in collaboration with French and Dutch law enforcement infiltrated encrypted telecommunication platforms in what has become known as the UK’s biggest ever law enforcement operation.

Sexual Offences: Members are involved in cases such as historic sexual offences, online multi-jurisdictional sexual offending as well as cases of serious sexual violence committed in the course of murder. Members lecture on s.28 pre-recorded cross examination of vulnerable witnesses, s.41 complainant’s prior sexual history as well as medical issues such as DNA and injuries arising in this area of work.

Terrorism: Chambers has a strong reputation at all levels of call for representing clients facing proceedings under the Terrorism legislation, both at first instance and appellate level. Members lecture and publish articles on developing areas of the terrorism law.

Professional Discipline: Members represent lawyers, accountants, medics, senior company officials, bank employees and other professionals in complex and sensitive cases, at inquests, professional tribunals and related criminal proceedings. Allegations include prison deaths, hospital deaths, fraud & serious dishonesty, sexual misconduct & complex health cases. Members have experience appearing in healthcare cases before the NMC, HCPC and GMC as well as defending at sport tribunals, police misconduct tribunals, Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal and appearing before teaching, accountancy and financial regulators. Members sit on regulatory panels, chair police disciplinary tribunals and chair sport safeguarding panels.

International: Members have been admitted to practice before the International Criminal Court as well as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and have made submissions before the Grand Chamber at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Members practise on a global scale including Australia Hong Kong and Gibraltar. Members are currently engaged in cases in the Caribbean including a lengthy corruption trial of former senior government officials in the Turks and Caicos Islands, a homicide appeal in St Kitts as well as other appellate proceedings before the Privy Council.

Publications & Lectures: Some Members are affiliated to Universities internationally, have been appointed Professor of Legal Practice and have lectured extensively both abroad. Members have been involved in publications on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery Law, Joint Enterprise Law as well as delivering seminars on Disclosure in the Criminal Courts; on Experts and Homicide and Women and Prison. Chambers has two academic members who provide valuable insights into the most recent developments in Chambers core practice areas.