John Traversi is an established criminal law practitioner, defending and prosecuting in a wide range of cases. He has defended in high level drugs conspiracies, human trafficking cases, fraud and revenue cases, murders and serious violence and sexual offending.

His cases have often involved a transnational element, where his language skills have been of particular use. In March 2021 he was co-author with Steven Kay QC of “Kazakhstan: Questions About Government, Justice & International Arbitrations”, which also examines the response of the Republic of Kazakhstan to adverse decisions made against it in international arbitral proceedings. In May 2021 he was part of the 9BR international team that produced A Report on the Lundin Case commissioned by the Board of Directors for Lundin Energy.

He has often been asked to advise on proceedings abroad by UK nationals who have found themselves in trouble in other civil law jurisdictions.

He is a grade 4 prosecutor, on the serious crime and fraud panels.

Called 1977

Appointed to list of defence counsel at:

International Criminal Court

Special Tribunal for Lebanon

International Tribunal for Rwanda

CPS Panel (Grade 4)

CPS Serious Crime Panel (Grade 4)

CPS Fraud Panel (Grade 4)

Fluent in Spanish, Italian and French.

South Eastern Circuit

Criminal Bar Association

Downside School

University of Oxford (MA Modern Languages and History).