Foundry Chambers

Foundry Chambers

YEAR OF CALL 2021

Tessa has a broad practice in general crime, prosecuting and defending in cases involving violence, drug-related crime, weapon possession, and sexual offences.  In June 2024 was named Times Lawyer of the Week after prosecuting a defendant who had attacked a sitting Judge during Family Court proceedings.

She also prosecutes and defends in cases involving financial crime and Part 2 POCA 2002 (confiscation). In addition to her criminal practice, Tessa also prosecutes and defends in cases relating to Part 5 POCA 2002 (civil recovery) and has conducted appeals on behalf of the Home Office in the First Tier Tribunal (Tax Chamber).

Prior to joining Chambers, Tessa worked as a Lawyer at the Law Commission of England and Wales, leading the project which focused on reform of Part 2 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, known as the ‘Confiscation Regime’. The final report makes over 100 recommendations for reform. Tessa also contributed to the Law Commission’s Evidence in Sexual Offence Prosecutions and Sentencing projects, the latter of which led to the enactment of the Sentencing Act 2020.

Alongside her work at the Law Commission, Tessa assisted in the production of training materials for the United Nations on the subject of Confiscation and has written for the Criminal Law Review on the subject of Confiscation.

Tessa also contributes to the annual publication of Blackstone’s Criminal Practice by providing case updates and highlighting legislative changes.

Before commencing at the Law Commission, Tessa was a practising solicitor in New South Wales, Australia. Having completed her training contract at a trade union, she was admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2016. She subsequently worked for the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) until moving to the UK in late 2019. In her role at the ODPP, Tessa appeared in court on behalf of the Crown in administrative hearings, bail hearings, sentencing hearings and appeals. These cases involved drug offences, sex offences, other violent offences, thefts and frauds.

Publications

R v Saroya (Nadia) (Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)) [2022] Criminal Law Review 699

R v Andrewes (Jon) (UK Supreme Court) [2023] Criminal Law Review 84

Appointments

CPS Panel Advocate (Level 1)

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple Young Legal Aid Lawyers Young Fraud Lawyers Association Women in Criminal Law

2020 – 2021 Bar Transfer Test, BPP London 2015 – 2016 Diploma of Legal Practice, College of Law, Sydney, Australia 2012 – 2015 Juris Doctor [MA Law], University of Sydney, Australia 2008 – 2011 Bachelor of International and Global Studies, University of Sydney, Australia