Crime

'Brian is in a league of his own. He combines formidable analytical skills with a sharp tactical ability and first rate jury advocacy.'

Sallie Bennett-Jenkins KC

‘Absolutely top of the class when it comes to defending privately funded serious and general crime cases. Masterful client care skills.'

Henry Blaxland KC

‘Henry is a truly exceptional barrister. He is at the top of his game and is leading the field.’

Caroline Carberry KC

Caroline is a class act; meticulous in her preparation, fully invested in her cases and excellent witness handling.'

George Carter-Stephenson KC

‘George remains at the top of his game. He is meticulous in his case preparation where no point or piece of evidence goes unconsidered.'

Giles Cockings KC

‘Probably the best speech maker at the Bar. Simply brilliant.’

Jeremy Dein KC

‘Jeremy is clearly one of the best advocates of his generation. He cares deeply about his cases and clients.'

Sarah Forshaw KC

5KBW

‘A highly responsive and hands-on silk who will fight every battle to ensure her client gets the best possible result.'

Patrick Gibbs KC

‘He is an excellent judge of a case, a great lawyer and has a tremendous rapport with Judges and Prosecution Counsel. He is immensely well respected.'

Oliver Glasgow KC

‘Oliver is a silk at the absolute top of his game.’

Caroline Haughey KC

‘Caroline is excellent. She is very empathetic towards clients, understanding their interests at the forefront of proceedings.'

Deanna Heer KC

5 Paper Buildings

‘A star performer who exudes calm confidence. Deanna has gone from strength to strength and established herself as one of the top prosecution silks in the country.’

Ian Henderson KC

Farringdon Chambers

‘Ian is one of the best silks around. Calm and measured, juries are putty in his hands.'

Mark Heywood KC

5KBW

‘He has an intellect second to none. He can assimilate huge amounts of material and gets to the crux of the matter quicker than anyone human should be able to.'

Paul Hynes KC

‘Paul is highly intelligent and articulate individual, without pretension .He is the perfect communicator, pitching his language and tone to his tribunal, whether judge or jury.'

Riel is gifted, fearless and nothing short of brilliant. Put simply she is a class act. A pleasure to watch with a calming influence and a devastating style.'

measured and a good team player.’

Tom Little KC

Deka Chambers

‘Tom remains an uncompromising prosecutor at the top of his game. Fluid and adaptable on his feet, he operates with a mixture of easy charm and deadly venom.’

Philippa McAtasney KC

Tim Moloney KC

Tim is without doubt one of the top silks in practice in crime today. He is bright, personable and hard-working.'

‘He is the epitome of an iron fist in a silk glove. A wonderful combination of intelligence, experience and toughness.’

David Perry KC

Lewis Power KC

Church Court Chambers

'Lewis is a brilliant strategist. There is no one better with clients and juries.'

James Scobie KC

'James is, without question, one of the finest silks in the country. He commands the courtroom with authority and composure, speaks with absolute clarity, and cross-examines with surgical precision.'

Jim Sturman KC

‘Jim has exceptional tactical awareness. He is, bar none, the best criminal silk in the country.’

Sasha Wass KC

‘Sasha has excellent client care skills especially when dealing with the most vulnerable defendants.'

Richard Whittam KC

James Wood KC

‘Formidable advocate with great intellect who gets the court's attention. Excellent with both written and oral submissions.'

Tana Adkin KC

15NBS

Christine Agnew KC

‘A highly classy advocate with a brilliantly humanising approach. Tenacious and authoritative but never loses sight of the common sense way through a problem.'

Tracy Ayling KC

'Very thorough preparation. Persuasive, well argued advocacy in complex situations.'

Narita Bahra KC

33 Chancery Lane

‘She is a fierce advocate in court.'

Alex Bailin KC

‘Alex is incredibly astute, a polished and adaptable advocate, with very sound tactical judgement.’

Ali Bajwa KC

‘Ali is the best there is at the criminal Bar. He makes advocacy look like an art.’

David Bentley KC

'David is the golden gloved assassin in court. He is charming and very effective.'

Jane Bickerstaff KC

9BR

‘Jane achieves excellent result for her clients. Her tactics and advocacy are exemplary. She is truly top-notch.’

Michael Bromley-Martin KC

‘First rate and still one of, if not the, very best silks at the Bar. One of the most effective and charismatic silks of our time.’

‘Mark is very personable, clients get along with him and juries love him. He is a very strong legal mind and an excellent tactician.’

Annabel Darlow KC

‘Annabel is supremely able. She is surely destined for even greater things.’

Hugh Davies KC

Jennifer Dempster KC

Jenni is a research fiend. Her analytical skills are second to none.’

Simon Denison KC

‘Simon is calm, persuasive and professional. His oratory is magnetic.'

David Etherington KC

John Femi-Ola KC

3TG Barristers

Francis FitzGibbon KC

‘Francis is compassionate and understanding with clients. He is a very effective advocate.’

Mark Harries KC

Serjeants’ Inn Chambers

‘Mark's client care is second to none. His advocacy is flawless and always delivered in a fashion that is uniquely tailored to the particular circumstances of each case.'

Alexandra Healy KC

‘Alexandra has a methodical approach to evidence. She is great with young and vulnerable clients.'

Christopher Henley KC

Mountford Chambers

'Chris is an experienced and smooth advocate. He is a good tactician who sees his way through to the real issues in a case.'

Mozammel Hossain KC

187 Chambers

‘Mozammel is a distinguished criminal barrister, with a formidable reputation for his strategic acumen and meticulous approach to case preparation.'

Michael Ivers KC

Garden Court Chambers

‘Michael is a highly effective advocate with a real eye for detail. He is very experienced and strategically astute.’

David Jeremy KC

‘A fearsome and fearless advocate, who reads the mood of the court, and uses the wisdom of his decades of experience to his best advantage.'

Zoe Johnson KC

‘Zoe is superb advocate; she is highly cerebral yet she can speak to anyone at any level. Juries love her.'

Richard Jory KC

‘Excellent advocate, extremely articulate and always has a full understanding of the case. He is great with clients.'

Paul Keleher KC

‘Paul deploys a chess like approach to cases. His hard work and dedication is an inspiration to us all.'

Abbas Lakha KC

9BR Chambers

‘Abbas is an absolute class act. His advocacy is top of his game.’

Kate Lumsdon KC

‘Kate is an exceptionally talented and hardworking silk. She is a very fair prosecutor and talented advocate.’

‘Paul is a veteran, utterly likeable and is able to remain and look smooth and calm, even in stormy waters.'

Rajiv Menon KC

'A sensitive and careful advocate who works hard for his clients.'

Anthony Metzer KC

Goldsmith Chambers

‘He is a sensitive and careful advocate who worked hard to present his client's complex mitigation.'

Miranda Moore KC

5 Paper Buildings

Excellent at thinking on her feet and responding to unexpected situations and circumstances. Very natural in front of a jury.’

Alison Morgan KC

‘Alison is a true star of the profession.’

Stephen Moses KC

25 Bedford Row

‘He always draws people together and makes brilliant closing speeches.’

Pavlos Panayi KC

7BR

‘He is diligent, hardworking and determined to get the best outcome for his client.'

Christopher Paxton KC

Icah Peart KC

'Judges and juries love him. He is a consummate advocate - always one step ahead of other barristers in a case.'

Simon Pentol KC

‘Simon is a highly-persuasive and compelling Silk who commands a court room. He is tenacious in his preparation and lively on his feet. A class act.'

She is a terrific jury advocate. She can get people to open up which is a rare skill. Her closing speeches are legendary.’

‘Mathew is an extremely conscientious barrister, which reaps its rewards in court. He knows his cases well and is a formidable opponent.'

Melanie Simpson KC

‘A first-class advocate. Calm, bright, excellent in the law and incisive is her norm.’

Julia Smart KC

‘Julia is a very hard-working and focused barrister. She puts clients at ease and instils confidence when she is on her feet.’

Tyrone Smith KC

‘Tyrone is a master tactician.'

Brian St. Louis KC

15NBS

‘Brian is a determined and fearless advocate who combines common sense with hard-nosed pragmatism.’

Mark Summers KC

‘Mark is one of the most talented advocates. His oral advocacy is nothing short of exceptional.’

Kieran Vaughan KC

2 Bedford Row

Alisdair Williamson KC

‘Alisdair is clearly at the top of his game. His advocacy is truly attractive. He is what you would want a silk to be.'

Simon Csoka KC

Libertas Chambers

‘Simon is quite simply top of his game. He is a brilliant advocate who has a phenomenal legal brain.’

Steven Perian KC

2 King’s Bench Walk Chambers

‘Steven is a very accomplished barrister. He is patient and gets along well with clients.'

Colin is charming, smart and always on top of his brief. He has a wonderful manner in cross-examination.'

Tony Badenoch KC

‘An effective advocate who shows that reasonableness can be used to devastating effect.'

Richard Barraclough KC

Six Pump Court

Jason Bartfeld KC

187 Chambers

‘An outstanding King’s Counsel. He is skilful, his attention to detail is second to none and above all he has a unique ability to bring out the best in the clients.'

Anand Beharrylal KC

'Anand is excellent at dealing with vulnerable witnesses and clients, in particular leading them through difficult and complex evidence. His understanding of expert evidence is second to none as he thoroughly prepares. He has an obvious command of the parameters and limits of opinion evidence.'

Jeremy Benson KC

Red Lion Chambers

'Jeremy is a knowledgeable and well-respected Silk, able to turn his hand to any kind of serious criminal work.'

Paul Bogan KC

Charles Bott KC

Mountford Chambers

‘Charles is an experienced advocate and his drafting skills and written arguments are exceptional.’

Kirsty Brimelow KC

‘Kirsty is an excellent advocate and a committed criminal barrister.’

Matthew Butt KC

‘Matt is an extraordinary figure; he’s incredibly impressive and someone you always want to work with.’

John Cammegh KC

5 St Andrews Hill

‘His experience shows; John sees all the nuances of a case and thinks ten steps ahead.’

Richard Christie KC

187 Chambers

‘A KC of choice. He is by far the best silk to instruct and the most eloquent advocate.'

Rhiannon Crimmins KC

Rhiannon is a skilful cross examiner and has a very good jury manner.’

Claire Davies KC

Farringdon Chambers

‘Claire is tenacious. Her advocacy is of an impressively high standard.’

Sarah Elliott KC

‘An absolute star. She is incredibly hard-working.’

David Emanuel KC

'One of the top go to silks specialising in appeals. He provides the perfect blend of hard work, intellect, flawless judgement and persuasive advocacy.'

William Emlyn Jones KC

‘An absolute star and a go-to silk. Seriously talented and always makes the right tactical decision.'

Philip Evans KC

‘A very measured and persuasive advocate who is hugely respected by his peers.'

Alexandra Felix KC

‘She is brilliant with clients. Her advocacy and powers of persuasion are impressive to watch.’

Edward Fitzgerald KC

‘Edward is a fantastic barrister and an absolute superstar at the Bar.’

‘Danny is a brilliant lawyer. His knowledge of complex legal principles is so profound as to appear intuitive, and his advocacy is a work of art.’

Kerim Fuad KC

Church Court Chambers

'Kerim is the epitome of the jury friendly advocate. His charming nature and affable personality, combined with a mastery of the papers and a tactical nous, make him an extremely effective advocate.'

Dean George KC

2 Bedford Row

‘Dean has struck the perfect balance between legal knowledge, tactics, and persuasive advocacy. Dean very quickly earns the respect of every court he walks into.'

Peter Glenser KC

9BR Chambers

'Peter is wonderful jury advocate with an exceptional and extensive knowledge of all things firearms related.'

Emma Goodall KC

‘Emma is a class act. Both her written work and oral advocacy are first class.'

Martin Goudie KC

Crucible Chambers

‘Martin is forensic in his attention to detail. No stone is left unturned and his brain is the size of a small planet.’

‘A very persuasive advocate. Juries rest on his every word.'

Edward Henry KC

Mountford Chambers

Jonathan Higgs KC

5KBW

David Hislop KC

William Hughes KC

‘Advocacy that juries and judges trust. He makes it look easy. Brilliant.'

‘Alan is a born advocate. He has an absolute razor like sharpness of legal instinct. First class tactical brain.'

Jennifer Knight KC

A solid advocate with determination and steel. Great judgement. Well respected amongst her peers and members of the judiciary.'

Sean Larkin KC

‘He is excellent at client care. Sean's advocacy skills leave jurors waiting to her his every word.'

Louis Mably KC

‘Calm, thoughtful, measured, intelligent, fair.'

Samuel Magee KC

2 Bedford Row

Michael Mather-Lees KC

Church Court Chambers

He is a very thorough and effective advocate. He captures the attention of the jury and is an effective orator.'

John McGuinness KC

Keir Monteith KC

‘Keir is without a doubt one of the best advocates in the country.'

Mark Mulholland KC

Cloth Fair Chambers

Cairns Nelson KC

‘He is fearless and a first class advocate’

Michelle Nelson KC

Charlotte Newell KC

5KBW

‘Excellent advocate. All round strong, reliable and impressive silk.’

Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC

‘She’s very polished. Jane exudes authority, is hard-working, very classy and modest.'

Anthony Orchard KC

5KBW

‘Anthony is one of the most effective and persuasive prosecutors in the country. His advocacy is very much top table.'

Jane Osborne KC

2 Harcourt Buildings

Gareth Patterson KC

‘Excellent preparation, skilful advocate. One of the most excellent and formidable prosecutors in England and Wales today.'

Stan Reiz KC

‘Well measured, calm and tactical in his approach to cases. His attention to detail is first class.'

Martin Rutherford KC

15NBS

‘Martin’s advocacy is concise, fair and where appropriate witty. He is able to capture the attention of a jury and wind them in.’

John Ryder KC

‘John is by far one of the best if not the best criminal silks in the country. He is simply in a league of his own.’

Rossano Scamardella KC

Louise Sweet KC

She gets brilliant results in cases which some would say are unwinnable.'

Paul Taylor KC

5KBW

‘Paul is the standout barrister for appeals. He is a specialist and knows the Court of Appeal better than anyone at the Bar.’

Bernard Tetlow KC

Furnival Chambers

‘A brilliant jury advocate who works very hard on all his cases. Wins unwinnable cases and is a great team player.’

Katy Thorne KC

Katy is an exceptionally skilled advocate. She fights tooth and nail for her clients.'

Clare Wade KC

‘Clare is an exceptional advocate. Her intellect is remarkable.’

David is first rate. His mellifluous delivery is combined with a sharp mind to make his advocacy easily some of the most attractive at the criminal Bar.’

Peter Wilcock KC

Doughty Street Chambers

‘He is a very clever lawyer, a fearsome cross-examiner and a marvellously persuasive advocate.’

Felicity Gerry KC

Libertas Chambers

‘Felicity demonstrates a high level of analytical skill and an ability to distil complex legal matters into clear concepts.’

Adam Kane KC

Libertas Chambers

‘Adam is a consummate advocate. He is extremely hard-working and his preparation is first class.’

Lee Karu KC

Millennium Chambers

Ben FitzGerald KC

QEB

‘Ben is equally at home acting in serious criminal cases as he is advising finance executives on regulatory and financial crime.’

Zubair Ahmad KC

‘Zubair is a highly persuasive advocate. When Zubair speaks, the rest of the court pauses to listen carefully.'

Kate Bex KC

‘A superb barrister at the very top of her game. Her closing speeches are phenomenal, and her work ethic is unmatched at the bar.’

Jacqueline Carey KC

‘James is a great lawyer and a very strong advocate. He is charming and incredibly engaging.'

Paul Cavin KC

2 Harcourt Buildings

‘Calmness personified. A go to KC for prosecution cases.'

Nicholas Corsellis KC

Kevin Dent KC

5 St Andrews Hill

‘A specialist in complex cases with a eye for detail in taking to task defendants in cross-examination.’

Christopher Donnellan KC

The 36 Group

Benjamin Douglas-Jones KC

‘Outstanding communicator and problem solver. Exemplary at uniting parties, and garnering cooperation and cohesion in the best interests of all parties.’

‘Alan is a calm, clear, concise advocate. He has a nice courtroom manner and juries love his style.'

Mark Gatley KC

'Mark is a smooth operator who juries love. He is a class act in court with a razor sharp instinct.'

Michael Goodwin KC

‘Michael is an extremely able advocate. His preparation and presentation is exceptional.'

Andrew Hall KC

Roderick Johnson KC

Goldsmith Chambers

‘Roderick is exceptionally hard-working and an absolute master of detail.’

Leon Kazakos KC

‘A go to silk. Star of the London Bar. Excellent with clients.'

Jonathan Laidlaw KC

‘He is highly focused in his advocacy and case presentation commanding the attention of others. His preparation is thorough and meticulous.'

Anya Lewis KC

Garden Court Chambers

‘Anya is so deserved of her status as silk. She is so industrious and dedicated.’

Michael Magarian KC

Drystone Chambers

Vanessa Marshall KC

7BR

Philippa McAtasney KC

‘One of the nicest men in law, this influences his unique and effective advocacy style.'

Brian O’Neill KC

'Brian fears no-one and is not afraid to tell it how it is. His preparation is meticulous.'

'Laurie-Anne is impressive on her feet and with her witness handling. Sensitive when necessary without losing power.'

Steven Powles KC

'Steven's advocacy is assured, persuasive and thoroughly prepared to the highest level. He is very approachable and re-assuring of clients.'

Charlie Sherrard KC

Furnival Chambers

Sultana Tafadar KC

No5 Barristers’ Chambers

Richard Thomas KC

‘Commanding presence, sharp arguments and strategic thinking.'

Sarah Vine KC

‘Sarah is extremely intelligent and prepares thoroughly. She is a first class advocate and her clients are fortunate to have her leading the team.'

Liam Walker KC

‘Liam is a force to be reckoned with. He takes every available point and fights tenaciously for his client.A fluent advocacy style that is relatable for juries.'

Lisa Wilding KC

‘Lisa has formidable presence in court. She knows the law, makes first class legal submissions, and has exceptional judgement.’

Richard Wormald KC

Fabulous advocate with great presence. When he stands up, you just want to listen – a fantastic attribute in a barrister.’

Gudrun Young KC

‘Brilliant legal brain. Superb advocate. Excellent with clients.’

Hossein Zahir KC

‘Hossein is a street fighter. He takes all the best defence points and elevates them to an even higher plain.’

Felicity Gerry KC

Libertas Chambers

‘A fearless advocate who has an exceptional command of the law.’

Stuart Trimmer KC

4BB

2025 Silks

James Brown KC

5KBW

Lesley Bates KC

‘Lesley is the kind of barrister you always want on your side. She knows every detail of every case before most have opened the brief.’

‘Paul is an exceptional barrister. He is highly intelligent and has a genuine academic interest in the law. His legal arguments are therefore invariably well-researched and profound. As an advocate he is calm and measured. His submissions are so much more effective for this. He has the total respect of judges and fellow professionals.’

Charles Langley KC

‘Charles is the go-to barrister in relation to complex criminal cases. He is highly organised and calm and has an exceptional eye to detail.’

‘Danny is a great lawyer and an excellent advocate. He is fearless and juries love him.’

‘Simon is a great tactician and very approachable with clients. Very measured in court.’

David Rhodes KC

has it all; an incredible work ethic, comprehensive understanding of the criminal law, respect of his peers and judges, and absolute command of the courtroom.’

Nicholas Yeo KC

Three Raymond Buildings

‘Meticulous in his forensic analysis, engaging with clients whilst tactically very astute in court.’

Oliver Cook KC

Libertas Chambers

‘Oliver’s biggest strengths lie in his intellect, work ethic, passion for justice, client care and tactical awareness. He is a fantastic new silk.’

Gerard Hillman KC

Libertas Chambers

‘An accomplished jury advocate who is also very skilled in legal argument.’

2024 Silks

Farrhat Arshad KC

‘Farrhat is translating her impressive expertise in developing technical arguments in her appellate practice into an equally meticulous approach to trial preparation. In trials she is both tactically astute and fearless when needed. She revels in making legal arguments at trial which others don’t spot.’

Kate Blumgart KC

2 Harcourt Buildings

Kate is able to assimilate large volumes of evidence and data at short notice and holds a keen eye for detail. She is an incredibly strong jury advocate who has the ability to cast doubt on even the strongest of cases.’

Catherine Farrelly KC

5KBW

‘A very organised prosecutor with a hard edged approach to the job in hand. She is particularly good in the area of sexual offending where she made her reputation as a junior. She is sensitive to the particulars needs of such cases and easy to work with.’

Jocelyn Ledward KC

‘A true star at the criminal bar - excelling equally in serious crime and complex fraud. Her encyclopaedic legal knowledge and decades of experience of prosecuting the most serious cases makes her one of the most formidable defenders. Accurate, unflinching and measured.’

Martin McCarthy KC

Farringdon Chambers

‘ A skilful and charismatic jury advocate with a brilliant forensic mind. Martin cuts to the chase in this cases, identifies the key issues and and puts his clients first and foremost. He is a very good strategist and particularly adept at choosing his legal arguments.’

Beth O’Reilly KC

‘Beth consistently achieves excellent results for her clients, combining sharp legal insight with a strategic and pragmatic approach to each case. Her client care is exemplary—whether she is representing a vulnerable defendant or a professional client, she brings empathy, clarity, and reassurance, making even the most challenging situations manageable.’

Tom Payne KC

‘Tom has a masterful grasp of the details of a vast case, and has a sound sense of what is important and what is not, which inspires confidence in judges, opponents, and, mostly likely, juries; he picks his battles extremely well, and pursues those aspects which are important with determination whilst not taking up time with points that are less important.’

Jonathan Polnay KC

QEB Hollis Whiteman

‘Jonathan is very well-prepared with strong tactical sense and an encyclopaedic knowledge of the law. These qualities made him a formidable junior and will make him a great silk.’

Joel Smith KC