Alex Rooke

Alex practises in all areas of crime and asset recovery & confiscation.

For 20 years, Alex maintained a busy 50/50 defence and prosecution practice, and believes this is the best way of learning and retaining the skills needed to be an effective criminal barrister.  This has ranged from prosecuting complex Flying Squad and NCA investigations, through the prosecution and defence of all manner of violence, fraud and sexual offending, to defending in heavyweight, and especially Turkish, gang matters.

Currently, he principally defends, deploying this wide experience of cases involving serious violence, grave sexual offending, fraud and organised crime. He is currently instructed to defend in a number of “Encrochat” cases and is fully up to speed with recent developments.  He also has two murder cases for the defence on his case-list as of May 2023

He often appears alone against King's Counsel, and is respected for his ability to deal sensitively with clients and witnesses who are having difficulty with the experience of the court process, be that because of vulnerability, cultural difference or simply what is at stake.

Solicitors and judges have commented favourably on his ability to pick up complex cases, to master large amounts of information, and to cut to the chase in a very short time.

He has particular expertise in cross-border smuggling cases, and in confiscation and asset forfeiture matters under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and its predecessor legislation.  He is currently instructed to defend in a number of “Encrochat” cases and is fully up to speed with recent developments.

Alex has advised upon and successfully defended many Road Traffic Act (RTA) matters, and accepts Direct Public Access instructions for this.

He has recently been privately instructed in several Indecent Images cases, obtaining good results for the clients.

Alex accepts direct access instructions.

Bar Vocational Course 2001. Walter Wrigglesworth Scholar, Lincoln's Inn 2001. Postgraduate Diploma in Law, 2000. M.Sc. (International Relations), Middle East Technical University, Turkey, 1996. B.A. Hons (History and Politics), Keele University, 1991.