Furnival Chambers

Crime

Called 2017

Charlotte is currently on secondment from Chambers to the Crown Prosecution Service as a Senior Crown Prosecutor where she has conduct of a broad spectrum of criminal prosecutions.

Prior to this, Charlotte regularly appeared in the Crown Court for both the Defence and Prosecution in cases involving offences of violence, fraud, weapons and the supply of drugs.

Charlotte has been successful in the Court of Appeal on an appeal against sentence for dangerous driving which was found to be manifestly excessive. She has also achieved appellate successes in the Crown Court on both conviction and sentence.

Charlotte has been described by those who instruct her as “charming and very able” with “impressive advocacy skills, sound judgment, decisiveness and integrity”. Her commitment as Defence counsel is “first class”.

Notable cases

Court of Appeal

R v Khan (Ibrahim) [2019] EWCA Crim 1202 – for the Appellant (junior alone) - appeal against a 14-month sentence for dangerous driving and false plates imposed on a 20-year-old at Reading Crown Court. Found on appeal to be manifestly excessive and reduced to 10 months.

R v Melin [2019] EWHC Crim 535 – for the Appellant - Charlotte assisted in drafting an advice and grounds of appeal against conviction, on which leave to appeal was granted on a novel point of law, the extent to which lying about being a doctor undermined the consent to botox injections which had resulted in grievous bodily harm.

Crown Court

R v MC (2020) – for the Crown -  trial for inflicting grievous bodily harm involving the stabbing of two police officers who had attended supported housing to assist a mental health team with the Defendant, which had resulted in both being attacked with a knife.

R v DD (2019) – for the Defendant – this case came to Charlotte as a sentence after the Defendant (and his co-Defendant) had already pleaded guilty to two dwelling burglaries which attracted a minimum sentence of three years. Charlotte successfully argued, over the course of several hearings, to vacate those guilty pleas on the basis that the burgled building as a matter of law was not a dwelling. The Crown accepted pleas to non-dwelling burglary, avoiding the minimum three year sentencing provisions. Both Defendants were released on non-custodial sentences.

French (working)

Bar Professional Training Course, Very Competent, City Law School (2017)

LLM, Distinction, University College London, (2016). Dissertation on ‘Consent and Deception under the Sexual Offences Act 2003’

Graduate Diploma in Law, City Law School (2015)

MA, Classics and Philosophy, University of Cambridge (2012)