5 St Andrews Hill

John Cammegh KC is a highly accomplished Silk, uniquely experienced in practising at the highest level in both domestic and international criminal courts over the past two decades.

John Cammegh KC is a highly accomplished Silk, uniquely experienced in practising at the highest level in both domestic and international criminal courts over the past two decades.

He has been recognised as a leading criminal Silk by The Legal 500 since his appointment in 2019.

He has extensive international criminal law experience and as a result, accepts instructions in this area and related extradition matters.

He also accepts instructions in Business Crime and Regulatory cases.
Direct Access

• John is Direct Access accredited and accepts instructions in suitable cases.

Criminal Law Primarily a defence advocate, he has further broadened his expertise since taking Silk by successfully acting for the prosecution in a series of notorious murder trials in recent years. John specialises in cases of homicide, organised use and supply of drugs and firearms, people trafficking and complex sexual offences. Combining close attention to detail and his customary down to earth manner he is highly skilled at gaining the confidence of clients, juries and judges alike.

Whether through his cross examination of expert witnesses or co-defendants in cut-throat cases, or through his rare ability to address juries with both precision and panache he is widely known as a formidable trial advocate.

John’s cases frequently receive national press coverage:

Most recently in 2023, he prosecuted the multiple killer Lawrence Bierton who received a whole life order for the murder of a third elderly victim. The case has led to widespread calls for an inquiry into Probation Service conduct and oversight. In 2022, John successfully prosecuted Ross McCullum for the notorious Megan Newborough murder. In 2021, he successfully defended in R v M and another, a complex drugs-related murder linked to organised crime. In 2020, he acted in the case of Reader and Welch, involving the shooting of the co-defendant’s ex-wife, which was subsequently subject of a television documentary. He has acted for appellants in the Court of Appeal, having been granted leave in cases involving loss of control defences.

International Criminal Law John has extensive International Criminal law experience. He is a highly experienced practitioner in this field. He is able to take command of the complex political and factual landscape of each case and his ability to gain the confidence of the most demanding clients and tribunals.

He acted as lead counsel in a 4 year trial in Sierra Leone having advised the defence in the Bangladesh Genocide trial (the first international tribunal to impose the death penalty).

Seminars & Media Opportunities

John is an experienced seminar presenter on domestic and international issues and has featured in various television documentaries and news bulletins.

Recent Criminal Instructions:

R v N and others, 2024 - Defended in a long running multi-handed trial concerning wide-ranging organised supply of drugs and phones into prisons. R v V, 2024 - Defended in the brutal murder of a prison cell-mate drawing on expert medical evidence. Operation Starship, 2024 - Prosecuted a10-handed, long-running case of Attempted Murder concerning the orchestrated attack on rival members of an ethnic community. R v B, 2023 – Prosecuted murder of 73 year old woman bludgeoned to death in her own home by B who had been at liberty for just 15 months following his release from life imprisonment for the 1995 murder of two elderly sisters in strikingly similar circumstances. The jury rejected B’s defence of diminished responsibility after important concessions made by a defence psychiatrist during cross examination. B received a whole life order, one of only 60 living prisoners in UK currently serving such a sentence. R v A and others, 2023 – Defended in long running multi-handed conspiracy to convey drugs, phones and contraband into prisons via drones. R v R, R, R and D 2023 – Prosecuted murder of 85 year old convicted child sex offender by two brothers, assisted by others, who tricked the victim into driving them to a remote location where they bludgeoned him to death with a car gearbox. R v B 2023 – Acting for B, currently tried for murder of partner by stabbing her to death in domestic argument in front of their 3 children, each of whom gave evidence in s28 proceedings. R v W and W 2022 – Privately funded defence of W, aged 90 at trial, and 82 wife both charged with serial sexual offences against their daughter and another child in the 1970s. Arguments re fitness to stand trial and mitigation on basis of W’s terminal illness after guilty verdicts. - R v McC 2022 – Successful prosecution of M after 9 week nationally-reported trial re the brutal murder of a 23 year old work colleague. Having strangled his victim McC attempted to decapitate her with a kitchen knife. Prosecution evidence relied heavily on phone and internet searches as well as expert pathology and neuro-pathology evidence. Psychiatric and psychological experts gave evidence regarding loss of control and diminished responsibility. R v SM and another 2022 – Acted for SM in cut-throat murder trial in which he and his partner H were alleged to have targeted an elderly victim. Prosecution ran the case as murder for gain. SM had severe mental health issues. Leave granted to appeal conviction to Court of Appeal after trial judge withdrew loss of control from the jury. R v F 2022 – Prosecuted murder of a young mother by her former partner. After weeks of stalking and intimidation F lured his victim into her back garden where he murdered her in a frenzied knife attack, the incident being recorded on cctv. Defence of diminished responsibility was rejected by the jury; F received 27 years custody. R v M and another 2021 – Acting for young rap artist charged with murder after co-defendant stabbed a rival drug dealer to death following a long standing gang-related feud. After a 2 month trial M was acquitted; he is now pursuing a successful music career. Trial involved expert evidence on drill lyrics and urban language. R v B 2021 – Acted for defendant charged with manslaughter after death of victim from meningitis several weeks after street fight in which he sustained fractured ribs. The issue was causation: the case turned on orthopaedic, toxicology, pathology and neuro-pathology evidence from several expert witnesses, requiring in-depth understanding of complex medical issues and forensic cross examination.  R v R and W 2020 – Acted for W, a lifelong friend of R, who shot his wife from close range in her car. W was alleged to have maintained and monitored a tracking device on the victim’s car over a period of about a year, but not to have been the shooter. Case relied on complex and cutting edge mobile tracking technology. At trial, R unexpectedly blamed W for the murder, resulting in JCKC’s two-day hostile cross examination of R, who was quickly convicted. The jury eventually returned a majority 10-2 guilty verdict against W after 5 days in retirement.

International Criminal Instructions:

2004 – 2014 John was lead counsel in long-running international criminal tribunals in Sierra Leone and Bangladesh, the latter gaining him access to high level government and political figures in Washington DC and the UN. He achieved success as lead counsel for the rebel commander Augustine Gbao in the 2004-2009 RUF trial at the Special Court of Sierra Leone, securing more acquittals and a lower sentence than all other accused on an indictment including war crimes, crimes against humanity, mass abduction of UN personnel and the use of child soldiers. From 2011 to 2014 John acted for five members of the Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami party. They were tried, and all but one eventually executed for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes before the notorious International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2014 John advised judicial and law enforcement emigres opposed to the Assad regime at an FCO-backed conference in Gaziantep, Turkey, prior to ISIS and government attacks on the population in northern Syria. In 2014 he presented at an Anti-Bribery and Corruption conference in Abuja, Nigeria organised by the Nigerian National Security Advisor and attended by state governors. John has advised at government level on international criminal issues and the efficacy of ad hoc tribunals. He has substantial international lobbying experience, notably in the Congressional and Senate Houses, the US State Department and in the Pentagon, Washington DC. He has lectured widely and has contributed to various international publications, as well as international television and radio.