Paul Taylor KC

Practice Areas

Crime / Criminal appeals

Career

Paul Taylor KC is a barrister specialising in criminal appeals. He is head of the 5KBW Criminal Appeals Unit and the general editor of Taylor on Criminal Appeals.

Paul has developed a particular expertise in appellate cases involving fresh expert forensic evidence (including GSR, DNA, CCTV), homicide, and offenders with mental disorders. He regularly represents appellants before the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) (being instructed at the appellate stage), and he has appeared before the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland, the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in appeals from the Caribbean, and (remotely) before the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal of Trinidad and Tobago.

Paul also has extensive experience in drafting submissions to the Criminal Cases Review Commission,

He is licenced under the Direct Access Scheme and can accept instructions directly from members of the public in appropriate cases.

Paul was appointed a Recorder in 2019 and sits in both the Crown Court and the Family Court.

Professional Memberships

Criminal Bar Association, Criminal Appeal Lawyers Association, Bar of Northern Ireland

Publications

Paul is the general editor of Taylor on Criminal Appeals, the leading practitioners’ textbook dealing with procedural aspects of criminal appeals and reviews. The third edition was published by Oxford University Press in 2022. The first (2000) and second (2012) editions were cited variously in the House of Lords, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, Court of Appeal (Criminal Division), Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland, Final Court of Appeal in Hong Kong, Court of Appeal of New Zealand, High Court of Fuji, Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and Caribbean Court of Justice.

Paul has also written case commentaries on appellate matters in England and Northern Ireland including:

Taylor (Bonnett): (Case Comment) [2013] Crim. L.R. 10, 844- 848 (The use of fresh evidence on appeal).

R. v Pope (John Randall): (Case comment) [2013] Crim. L.R. 421-425 (The “lurking doubt” test)

R v McCook (Jason): (Case comment) [2015] Crim LR 350 (The requirement of fresh appellate legal representatives to contact trial lawyers.)

R v Gray and others (Case comment) [2015] Crim LR 352 (The Court of Appeal's approach to making loss of time directions and whether they are proportionate to the initial term of imprisonment.)

R v George (Dwaine) (Case comment) [2015] Crim LR 715 (Admissibility of fresh expert evidence on appeal.)

R v McCarthy (Jamie) (Case comment) [2016] Crim LR 145. (Challenging convictions based on guilty pleas and criticism of trial counsel.)

R v Stromberg: (Lexis®PSL Corporate Crime on 16 April 2018). An analysis of the practical effects of this case for those advising a defendant convicted after what are thought to be wholly flawed proceeding.

The Jogee effect: (Counsel Magazine, September 2018) An analysis of the evolution of the law on joint enterprise and impact on potential appellants convicted under the ‘old law’.

Paul is Head of the 5KBW Criminal Appeals Unit.

He hosts Appealcast, an occasional podcast dealing with issues in appellate crime.

Paul has provided training on criminal appeals in England, Northern Ireland, the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas, and (remotely) to members of the Organisation of Caribbean Commonwealth Bar Association and the Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago.

Paul is currently assisting the Bar Council Law Reform Committee with submissions to the Law Commission on its review of the criminal appeal system.