Criminal Law and Appeals
Piers Marquis is a committed criminal defence barrister best, but not exclusively, known for his defence of allegations of murder, terrorism and offences related to serious organised crime.
He acts as Leading counsel, sole counsel and junior counsel, in cases of a particularly serious or complex nature.
Piers firmly and passionately believes in the independence of the Bar and the right of individuals to receive proper representation when faced with prosecution by the state. Consequently in 2020 (as in 2019), he will not be undertaking trial work under the Government’s AGFS Schemes 10 and 11, which he considers to be an unacceptable continuation of a concerted effort to undermine the standards and independence of the Bar.
Alongside his work on murder cases, Piers’s practice has taken on an increasingly international dimension through defending a number of allegations of terrorism offences, arising from the conflict in Syria. He has also been increasingly instructed on multi-million pound white-collar fraud and confiscation proceedings.
Recent briefs have included large scale white-collar fraud, major drugs importations/high end conspiracies to supply and armed robbery. He is regularly instructed in cases involving Trident investigations of gang related murders and firearms related violence, and cases arising from prolonged police operations targeting organised crime.
He was first instructed as leading counsel at only six years call, in the successful defence of one of the "Sequani Six" defendants, in what has been said to be the longest running animal rights trial in British legal history and the first effective trial under s.145 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
Piers also specialises in criminal work with a political and civil liberties dimension; with a particular emphasis on freedom of expression and the right to protest. He has defended prominent Animal Liberation Front activists, hunt and badger cull saboteurs/monitors, environmental and anti-arms trade protestors, Student and London “rioters” and was instructed in a large number of the Fathers4Justice cases. He secured the only acquittals in the Bristol Stokes Croft “Tesco Riot” cases and has acted for defendants in the Occupy movement, including the occupation of Trafalgar Square and the eviction of the St.Paul’s camp.
He is currently instructed on a pro bono basis for a number of the non-state Core Participants in the Undercover Policing Inquiry.
Piers also undertakes inquest work, most recently representing the family of the deceased in relation to controversial circumstances in which police negligence was said to have been a contributory factor to the death.
Before being called to the Bar, Piers gained considerable experience running the case preparation section in the criminal department of a solicitors’ firm in the Midlands. He also worked on civil actions against the police and cases involving gypsy rights.
He also travelled extensively around the world, funding his travels with work as a scuba divemaster, English teacher and journalist.
Year of Call: 2001
Called to the bar in 2001 having previously worked for many years in the criminal department of a Midlands based solicitors’ firm.
University of Warwick (BA Hons, philosophy and literature); University of Nottingham (PGDL); ICSL (BVC).