Exchange Chambers

Exchange Chambers

Barristers

Olivia Beesley

Olivia Beesley

Exchange Chambers, North West

Work Department

Criminal; Regulatory

Position

Olivia is a Grade 3 Prosecutor for the CPS. She is also a Specialist Fraud Prosecutor at Level 3 and a Specialist Serious Crime Prosecutor at Level 2. She is appointed to the RASSO panel.

Olivia was called to the Bar in 2018. She enjoys a practice of both defence and prosecution work. Her work includes Crime and Regulatory cases. She is approachable, pragmatic and brings an affable flair to her work.

Over the course of 2020 and 2021, she appeared in the Court of Appeal as part of a team representing a Sub-Postmaster. This appeal focused on lack of disclosure from the Post Office during a succession of trials. Both Category 1 and Category 2 Abuse was argued.

Her RASSO practice has developed vastly. Olivia regularly prosecutes and defends in Rape cases. She recently defended in a Kidnapping and Rape case, in which the child complainant was 14 years old. This year she successfully prosecuted a RASSO case involving a 13 year old.

In other areas, she secured a unanimous acquittal in a multi-handed Conspiracy to Supply Class A trial in Inner London Crown Court. The 8-day trial involved cell site analysis evidence, focusing on her 28-year-old client’s movements in early 2020.

Last year she was led in a 14 handed Conspiracy to Defraud trial. She has recently concluded prosecuting a 20 count Fraud case. Each count reflected a separate complainant and the fraudulent activity spanned across the country.

She has been led in a 9 handed trial of Conspiracy to Cheat the Public Revenue. This concerns a dishonest agreement to import, process and package tobacco to present as genuine tobacco products without paying the duty.

Olivia has been led in a prosecution 11 handed trial of Entering Into or Becoming Concerned in a Money Laundering Arrangement, in which the defendants were involved in sending cash by consignment to Dubai.

Beyond this, she has experience in Health and Care Professional Council work. Olivia has represented the Registrant, a paramedic, in a five-day Final Hearing. The Panel found that Fitness to Practice was not impaired, and no sanctions were imposed. She also represented a social worker in allegations of dishonestly in deprivation of liberty cases at Social Work England.

Olivia has been briefed in several Mental Health Tribunals, concerning s.2 Mental Health Act. She has found success in this area, and has previously secured a discharge from hospital for her clients.

Olivia is regularly instructed in a wide range of cases including;

  • Drugs offences
  • Rape and Serious Sexual offences
  • Fraud
  • Dishonesty offences
  • Serious Crime
  • Proceeds of Crime Application

Career

Called 2018

Memberships

The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple Criminal Bar Association

Education

BA Theology and Religion, The University of Birmingham (2015) LLB Law, The University of Birmingham (2017) LLM Law, The University of Law, Birmingham (2018) Bar Professional Training Course (2018)

Scholarships

Inner Temple Exhibition Award 2017 Inner Temple Duke of Edinburgh Award 2017

Leisure

Olivia grew up in Liverpool and has a passion for the city. She is particularly interested in Theology, which she studied as an undergraduate. She enjoys unwinding by drawing, and being out and about in the city.