Crucible Chambers

She is regularly instructed in cases involving vulnerable defendants, including defendants as young as 13 and those with mental ill health, due to her sensitive and down to earth approach. Alexandra is regularly instructed in respect of complex youth matters, including multi-handed robbery trials and cases involving modern day slavery. She was recently instructed in respect of a youth matter which received international press coverage, resulting in her client being the only defendant of four to have no evidence offered against him. Prior to commencing pupillage, Alexandra assisted in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving large-scale bribery and corruption at the Serious Fraud Office. Alexandra recently returned to the Serious Fraud Office as Disclosure Counsel, to assist with a prosecution relating to the Unaoil investigation. Alexandra remains instructed by the Serious Fraud Office in relation to an ongoing investigation. Alexandra has previous experience in the fields of healthcare and education regulation, having spent a number of years with leading law firm Kingsley Napley, where she was responsible for the investigation of fitness to practise concerns on behalf of several regulators in England and Wales.

Ben Rowe

Ben Rowe is a founding member of Crucible and specialises in serious, complex criminal matters and white collar crime. He both prosecutes and defends and has a particular expertise in areas where criminal law and commercial litigation overlap, especially cases with a high volume of computer-related evidence. Alongside his criminal practice Ben has also developed a strong regulatory and disciplinary practice. Ben previously spent three years employed within the commercial litigation and financial crime teams at the UK’s largest litigation-only law firm. He has a well-deserved reputation for his strong relationships with both professional and lay clients, and for being very responsive and easy to work with. Ben is a fearless and passionate advocate with a robust, no nonsense approach to advocacy, while also sensitive to the needs of vulnerable clients and witnesses.

Briony Molyneux

Well-known for being approachable and a personable character, she is able to establish a strong rapport with a wide range of lay clients. Her 9 years of criminal court advocacy have gained her experience in cases involving, violence, drugs, conspiracy and fraud. Her practice includes 4 years working for periods for the Serious Fraud Office as disclosure counsel, a 6 month secondment to the Bank of England dealing with financial disclosure issues, and 5 years’ experience of professional discipline proceedings. Furthermore, she has experience in front of several Regulatory bodies including appeals against TFL, SIA and other licensing bodies and is instructed by the HSE and CQC dealing with serious cases.

Claire Robinson

Claire is an experienced barrister who regularly acts as leading junior and junior counsel in cases of all levels of seriousness and complexity. She is respected for her attention to detail, thorough preparation and calm approach to cases. Claire both defends and prosecutes which compliments her balanced approach. She has particular expertise in cases involving serious sexual offences, fraud, serious violence and drugs. Claire is a leading junior in the field of professional discipline. She represents registrants who face allegations of misconduct, lack of competence and health conditions. Claire is a level 4 prosecutor for the CPS and is on the CPS panel of approved advocates for rape cases. Claire is a Legal Adviser to the Fitness to Practice Committees of the General Dental Council.

Clea Topolski KC

Clea has an exclusive defence practice in serious crime and is regularly instructed in cases involving serious violence and organised crime. She is often instructed in high profile murders, serious sexual assaults and high value frauds. She has extensive experience in cases involving alleged gang related activity that often involve large scale conspiracies to supply significant quantities of class A drugs as well as conspiracies to rob or murder. She always applies her meticulous case preparation with any case she is instructed on. Her manner and professionalism puts both the lay and professional client at ease, whatever the case. She is often commended for her witness management and cross-examination. Clea is a founding member of a programme to give pupils from non-traditional backgrounds, access to life at the criminal Bar. Through this programme, Chambers have developed a relationship with two secondary schools in London, which gives interested students an opportunity to undertake mini-pupillages with members of Crucible Chambers. The programme has been a resounding success.

Henry Grunwald KC

Henry is a long-established Queen’s Counsel and dedicated advocate with forty-eight solid years of experience in high-level criminal work. Rightly renowned for his unflappable nature in court, he is extremely hard-working, always well-prepared and determined to doing his best for his clients. His many years in practice have seen him defend in very high-profile cases right across the spectrum of offences – from serious frauds to serial killings.

Julia Flanagan

A highly experienced, innovative and hard-working advocate, Julia is a leading London junior who specialises in sexual crime, crime related to the most serious violence and financial crime. Julia’s practice covers the spectrum of offences and she has appeared successfully in both the House of Lords and the Court of Appeal. Instructed in serious and complex cases, she acts as both leading and junior counsel and is accustomed to dealing with the most sensitive cases involving vulnerable defendants and witnesses. She has successfully defended clients in trials involving multi-handed violence, sex, fraud and serious organised crime. Julia undertakes regulatory work and is accustomed to dealing with the national press in relation to resisting pre-trial publicity.

Laura Bayley

Laura is recognised for her careful case preparation, considered legal submissions and persuasive advocacy, with an approachable style and emphasis on providing excellent client care. Laura's core practice is in representing professional registrants, regulated entities and regulators, particularly in the healthcare sector. Her breadth of expertise means that Laura is able to assist clients in a variety of associated proceedings. She regularly undertakes inquest work, on behalf of interested persons and organisations. She advises and represents individuals facing DBS barring decisions, including appeals to the Upper Tribunal. In 2019, Laura was appointed to the Health and Safety Executive's List of Specialist Regulatory Advocates. Laura provides accurate and reliable written advice on all aspects of healthcare Regulatory Law, evidence and appeals. Laura's current practice is founded upon a successful criminal defence practice. She continues to appear in the Crown Court, having successfully represented defendants in a wide range of cases, including blackmail, serious violence against the person, robbery, burglary, fraud and other dishonesty offences, weapons offences, sexual offences, drug offences and road traffic matters.

Leila Gaskin

Leila Gaskin is a leading barrister in her field. She both prosecutes and defends in the most serious and complex criminal cases. She specialises in, and is recognised for, her work both in crime and fraud and was awarded junior barrister of the year by the Legal 500 directory in 2020. Leila is instructed by the CPS Organised Crime Division, Specialist Fraud Division (currently on behalf of HMRC and MHRA) and the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, as well as being instructed in private prosecutions. Defending, she conducts complex and lengthy cases on behalf of defence solicitors managing cases from the outset and on through the various stages of court proceedings. Her practice is complimented by both prosecuting and defending. She has defended in lengthy and complex cases throughout her career and is known for her meticulous approach and dedication to each and every case.

Libby Anderson

She has recently acted in several cases involving gang violence, firearms, and drug conspiracies, involving evidence of drill music as evidence of gang affiliation, and expert evidence relating to cell site, drugs, and firearms. She has experience of cases involving vulnerable clients and witnesses, including cases where fitness to plead is an issue. She also appears in regulatory and extradition matters, and has appeared in actions against the police. Libby has spent time seconded to the CPS as Senior Crown Prosecutor. Libby has particular experience of fraud, financial crime, and POCA proceedings. She has completed secondments at both the SFO and the FCA, gaining an understanding of the investigation and prosecution of large-scale frauds and money laundering enterprises. She regularly acts in cases of fraud and money laundering as led junior and junior alone.

Martin Goudie KC

Member of Attorney General's Panel of Special Advocates since 2005 dealing with national security cases including Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs), legacy cases in Northern Ireland, cases before the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), those arising from financial sanctions (Bank Mellat) and Guantanamo Bay (Binyam Mohamed). 'Appointed Person' for closed hearing in £4.1billion Thames Tidewater Tunnel project. Contributes to documents produced by special advocates including submissions to the Joint Committee on Human Rights. Interviewed by Amnesty International as part of investigations into 'closed material procedures'. Over 20 years of experience in all areas of serious and financial crime both defending and prosecuting (CPS EAS Grade 4 prior to taking Silk). His experienced includes representing both individuals and corporate bodies in disputes, investigations and criminal proceedings. Frequently instructed to provide advice and assistance prior to charge in a variety of cases from a roadblock shooting by a British soldier in Kabul, Afghanistan to financial crime investigations in the UK. Martin is experienced in leading legal teams in high pressure factually and legally complex cases, especially where there are multiple defendants, and is known for his strategic and practical approach. Martin is currently instructed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in the prosecution arising out of the Emiliano Sala plane crash, and is advising the Pension Regulator, with Roddy James and Libby Anderson, in respect of a multi-handed multi-million-pound fraud. Extensive experience of regulatory/disciplinary hearings, inquests and investigations for Regulators and for individuals, corporate bodies, charities and other institutions.  Worked with and/or against the CAA, Office of Rail and Road, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Royal College of Nursing, Bar Standards Board and Rugby Football Union. Cases have included advice on jurisdictional issues, prosecutions arising out of fatal crashes, dangerous goods prosecutions (including of Amazon & Sanyo), fitness to practice committees, competitions committees and internal hearings.

Michael Lavers

Michael is a committed barrister with a strong sense of social justice. His “down to earth” approach appeals to both clients and juries. He relates well to people from a variety of backgrounds. A substantial portion of Michael’s clients are members of different ethnic minority groups. He is often chosen to represent young and vulnerable defendants from inner-city areas. Michael has a reputation for building a strong rapport with both lay and professional clients, based on meticulous preparation. He is known for being tenacious, industrious, and tactically astute. He is highly skilled at identifying arguable points of law and has a good success rate in excluding evidence and securing acquittals based on terminating rulings. Over the years Michael has developed a keen interest in appellate work. He has appeared in the Court of Appeal on numerous occasions, where he has been successful in overturning many first instance verdicts and sentences. Michael has been instructed to provide advice and conduct appeals in cases where he was not trial counsel. He has represented Applicants pro-bono and also on a private basis. His dedicated work in this field is a testament to his desire to pursue and achieve just outcomes for his clients.

Neil Hawes KC

Head of Chambers

Oliver Renton

Oliver is regularly instructed to defend grave and complex matters, often involving homicide and serious violence. He is frequently instructed in connection with allegations of organised and gang related activity around the use and supply of drugs and weaponry, or flowing from organised acquisitive crime. He is known for combining a cool head and approachable manner with robust examination and passionate submissions. He is relied on by professional clients to provide a friendly, compassionate voice for difficult or vulnerable defendants. Oliver has recently been instructed in a number of cases involving use of encrypted phones (ENCRO) and has built up a specialised knowledge of issues surrounding this. He has a solid track record of successful outcomes when appearing before regulatory tribunals considering fitness to practice, particularly in respect of clinical professionals, as well as when acting before inquests flowing from deaths within the care of the state. He has amassed considerable experience in these jurisdictions and has provided lectures and training for different regulators in a number of diverse areas, from strategic approaches to advocacy, to tackling specific areas of law.

Roderick James

Described by instructing solicitors as “very methodical with evidence and excellent under pressure”, he is adept in making complicated issues comprehensible. Skilled in mastering large volumes of evidence and displaying clear tactical judgement he regularly conducts cases at all court levels as either leading or led counsel.

Tasmin Malcolm

Examples of instructions include Murder and Serious Violence (such as s.18 GBH, S.29 Corrosive substance with intent & Attempted Murder), Fraud, Firearms importation, Sexual Offences and Serious Organised Crime such as alleged Drugs Supply offences. Tasmin regularly conducts trials involving vulnerable witnesses and Defendants, by virtue of age or health, including trials of issue. Tasmin has experience representing clients in extradition proceedings and has appeared before the Appellate Court. She also has experience in Aviation Law, having appeared in both regulatory hearings and criminal proceedings.

Thomas Buxton

He is instructed in complex, sensitive cases on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives and other regulatory bodies, including the General Medical Council, General Dental Council, Health and Care Professions Council and Care Quality Commission. With a strong background in fraud and serious crime at the Criminal Bar, his considerable advocacy experience and case management skills are obvious strengths when appearing before Coroners’ courts and regulatory disciplinary panels. A well regarded advocate in coronial proceedings and professional regulatory tribunals, particularly in the healthcare sector, Thomas has extensive experience acting for both regulators and registrants who face allegations of professional wrongdoing through misconduct, deficient professional performance or ill-health. His practice encompasses the most serious cases – ranging from deaths within clinical, mental health and community settings, to allegations of drugs misuse, and physical and/or sexual assaults against patients, colleagues and the public. Thomas is also instructed in one of the largest investigations currently being undertaken by the General Dental Council. Thomas has an effective courtroom manner. He gives sensible, realistic advice in a straightforward and uncompromising manner. He is responsive, tactically astute, calm under pressure and has an ability to connect with clients, clinicians, experts and vulnerable witnesses at all stages of proceedings. Thomas has provided lectures and training to the Royal College of Nursing, General Dental Council, Office of Road and Rail and to the wider professional regulators via webinar and face to face in his areas of regulatory expertise.

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